MIDDLESBROUGH boss Aitor Karanka will draw up plans to cope with being away from the touchline after being hit with a one-match ban by the Football Association.

Karanka, also fined £2,000, received the punishment at a disciplinary hearing in London yesterday after he accepted a charge of improper conduct for his behaviour during the 1-1 draw with Blackburn on November 29.

The FA could have hit him with a heavier suspension but looked favourably on his situation because it was his first offence in English football and he apologised for his actions in person.

But Karanka is working on ways to ensure his absence from the dug-out will not affect his team’s performance against Championship leaders Derby County this Saturday.

He is planning to deliver his teamtalk in the dressing room before the game as normal and is expected to be back at half-time and full-time to talk to his players.

An FA Statement read: “Following an independent regulatory commission hearing today, Middlesbrough coach Aitor Karanka will serve a one-match touchline suspension with immediate effect.

“Karanka, who was also fined £2,000, admitted an FA charge of improper conduct in relation to his behaviour during stoppage time at the end of the game against Blackburn on November 29.”

Given that he has not been hit with a stadium ban, the 41-year-old does have the option of communicating with his backroom staff via the phone if he wishes to and head inside the dressing room.

An FA touchline ban is designed to keep distance between the manager and officials and not a manager from his team.

The actual seat he will take up for the fixture is still to be decided, although in the past previous Boro managers have sat at the front of the directors’ box immediately to the left of chairman Steve Gibson.

Karanka travelled down to London yesterday with chief executive Neil Bausor in the hope of avoiding a ban, although he will be satisfied that it was not longer.

The former Real Madrid No 2 was desperate to be in his technical area this weekend for the visit of promotion favourites Derby, who could ironically have former Boro boss Steve McClaren leading them from a seat in the stands by his own choice.

But Karanka has been made to pay for his actions in the dying stages of the draw with Blackburn, when he failed to control his temper after witnessing Rovers’ equalising goal stand despite a clear infringement on goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos.

Konstantopoulos was prevented from gathering a stoppage time corner in to his box by striker Chris Brown’s shove in to his back and Rudy Gestede converted the loose ball. That prevented Middlesbrough from collecting three points and Karanka and his backroom staff remonstrated with the officials.

Video footage appeared to show Karanka move too closely to fourth official David Coote and slightly push him, which was enough to earn him the sending off from referee Mark Clattenburg. The incident was mentioned in Clattenburg’s report and led to the manager being charged with improper conduct.

That formed part of what was a controversial ending to the fixture at the end of last month and there could yet be further ramifications for the Teesside club.

Police are appealing for information after a Middlesbrough fan was alleged to have made a racist gesture toward Blackburn striker Gestede in the immediate aftermath of his 94th minute equaliser.

The FA have already indicated that they are looking in to the matter because Clattenburg – who was approached after the game by Gestede and midfielder Lee Williamson – included it in his report.

Cleveland Police are looking for a Middlesbrough fan in the Riverside’s East Stand in block 40-42 seen to be making a gesture perceived as racist after a complaint was made. Neither Middlesbrough nor Blackburn have commented so far, although Boro do have a zero tolerance policy towards racism.