AITOR KARANKA has revealed why he is happy for Jose Mourinho to help out Reading this season – even if the rivals for promotion face Middlesbrough tomorrow.

The Royals, sitting third in the Championship and five points behind the Teessiders, are looking solid and capable of staying in the hunt for a promotion place under the guidance of Steve Clarke.

Reading’s revival this season has been a knock-on effect from last season when Clarke took over at the Madejski Stadium in December and he, like Karanka did last year, appears to have used the loan market to good effect.

And as well as landing the likes of Matej Vydra from Watford, Ola John from Benfica and ex-Boro defender Andrew Taylor from Wigan, Clarke has been on the phone to his former boss at Stamford Bridge.

The former Chelsea No 1 has taken winger Lucas Piazon to Reading and still has Michael Hector to call on after a deal was struck with Mourinho allowing the young defender to stay on loan following a £4m transfer to the Blues.

There has been more talk of other players heading to Reading and Karanka, who leaned on Mourinho more last season to boost his own side’s chances in the Championship, is more than happy for the Portuguese to be giving Clarke a helping hand too.

“It is not about Jose sending players to me or Middlesbrough,” said Karanka. “We have to try to bring in the right players, wherever they are from.

“Just because I sign two or three players from Chelsea does not mean they will play. That is the reason I have preferred just to sign Tomas Kalas this time from Chelsea.

“Reading will think the same way and they must think they needed to sign those players they have from Chelsea to aid the team’s development and make a better team. I didn’t think I needed that many this season.”

Karanka knows he could still turn to Mourinho at some stage if he feels it is required, but he has not needed it so far and has warned his players not to take anything for granted despite holding a five-point cushion over the Reading.

“The past is the past,” said Karanka, whose side travel to Berkshire later today knowing they head in to tomorrow’s game looking for an eighth straight win.

“The points are on the table but we have to look forward because the following game is Reading and it will be tough. We have to try to win the game and one day we will lose a game. Reading will be like us, fighting until the end.

“It’s about Reading against Middlesbrough. Steve has more experience than me in this country. He knows the league. He knows the Premier League and he knows more than me. It is Reading against Middlesbrough. We are both doing well at the moment.”

Karanka has reported no fresh injury problems ahead of the trip to Reading and he has allowed winger Yanic Wildschut to join Wigan on loan for three months.

The Dutchman has not appeared since he was taken off at half-time during the defeat to Bristol City on August 22 and has been interesting the League One side among others.

Karanka, who allowed Adam Reach to join Preston last week, was prepared to listen to offers for Wildschut and suggested yesterday that he would only accept a deal if he felt his squad could cope.

“Wigan (are interested) and there are more teams but it's not just about Yanic, we have very good players and every single week we have some teams asking for players,” said the Middlesbrough head coach.

“Every player needs to play games but with Yanic it's more important. He's training well but he needs to understand the games and you can only understand the games by playing games.

“Here it is difficult because he was playing against Bristol City and we were unlucky and we lost that game so for me I had to change the shape with other players.

“Now we are winning the games it is difficult to pick him for the team. He has to play games but we have to try to send him on loan to the right place.”

Middlesbrough defender Jack Stephens, on loan from Southampton, has been included in Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21s 25-man squad for the Euro qualifiers with Kazakhstan later this month.

And it has been confirmed that Middlesbrough have been given 8,600 tickets for the Capital One Cup trip to Manchester United.