AITOR KARANKA is dreaming of a memorable hat-trick at Old Trafford tonight, while insisting Stewart Downing still has a very important role to play in his attempts to make Middlesbrough a force to be reckoned with this season.

Speculation about Downing’s future has increased over the last few days after it was claimed he had become unsettled under Karanka just months after agreeing to leave West Ham United in a deal potentially worth £7m.

Sam Allardyce, who has taken over at Sunderland, was credited with an interest in taking him to Wearside in January, although it is thought Downing wants to help Middlesbrough back to the Premier League in his first season.

But the uncertainty heightened over the weekend when Downing was named among the substitutes for the trip to Wolves, only to emerge from the bench and turn the game around as Middlesbrough came from a goal down to win 3-1.

He admitted afterwards he was ‘very disappointed not to start the game’ and it has since been claimed he was left out because of a bust up with the head coach following the goalless draw with Fulham and defeat at Cardiff.

But Karanka has played down talk of the former Liverpool winger moving on and he could find himself back in the starting line-up at Manchester United, where Middlesbrough look to progress beyond the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

“If you watched his game last Saturday, the last 20 minutes, he was really good,” said Karanka, referring to Downing’s match-winning Wolves display.

“I don’t know who it was who told me he was disappointed after the game (at being left out) and I can understand him. I don’t know one player who is happy when he is on the bench.

“For me, he has known me for a few months. He knows the spirit of the team. I said after the game that he is one of the best players in the team and everybody knows how important he is for everybody, for the team and for the club, so I can’t understand.”

During Downing’s younger days he was a key member of the Juninho-inspired Middlesbrough team which defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2004 and he then scored the opener in a 1-1 draw later that year.

With Cristhian Stuani ruled out for at least a month with a tear in his hamstring and groin, as well as Adam Forshaw and Albert Adomah’s absence, Downing seems certain to start tonight when Karanka is desperate for his team to put on a good show against Louis van Gaal’s side.

Karanka, whose side will be backed by nearly 10,000 away fans, said: “It is an amazing game for everyone - everyone can enjoy it except me. We have to work a lot because we play against an amazing club, an amazing team with an amazing manager and amazing players.

“We have problems because we have players with four bookings and players injured, so I have to think a lot about my team. We are now more experienced because we have players who played in those games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal last season, so that can be good.”

It will not be Karanka’s first appearance at the Theatre of Dreams; on his two previous outings he was part of the winning camp with Real Madrid.

He was part of the Real team which went there in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final in 2000 and raced in to a three-goal lead, eventually progressing 3-2. He was also by Jose Mourinho’s side as his No 2 when the Spanish side won 2-1 in the last-16 of the Champions League in 2013.

But Karanka, smiling, warned: “Now it is a little bit different, we are with Middlesbrough and not Real Madrid!”

He continued: “As a player it was amazing. At that time, Manchester United were the favourites, they had won the Champions League and Premier League the previous season, and at that time, we were not doing very well in the league.

“We drew 0-0 in the Bernabeu and everyone expected Manchester could beat us easily at Old Trafford, but we were winning 3-0 after 60 minutes (actually 52) so it was a surprise. They then scored the first one and the second one, and we had a few problems. But as a player it was an amazing night to play at Old Trafford, to qualify for the semi-finals and to beat that Manchester United.

“As an assistant with Jose it was different. It was a really difficult game because we drew 1-1 at home. We weren’t playing well and it was difficult for us to score, but they had a man sent off, and in that moment Jose changed it.

“He made a substitution straight away, bringing Luka Modric on the pitch and we won the game. So it is twice at Old Trafford I have very good memories - let’s hope that continues after this game.”

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Mejias; Kalas, Amorebieta, Gibson, Friend; Leadbitter, Clayton; Nsue, Downing, De Pena; Kike.