AITOR KARANKA has admitted that he needs to add to Middlesbrough’s squad this month to boost the promotion push but he has revealed: ‘We are not after anything special’.

Boro, who report no fresh injury problems ahead of Saturday’s visit of Burnley in the FA Cup third round, are four points clear at the top of the Championship and are the favourites to return to the Premier League.

But Karanka has allowed Jack Stephens and Bruno Zuculini to return to Southampton and Manchester City, respectively, so there is room for further loan additions in his squad.

He does not expect anything to go through before visit of the Clarets, but he is working closely with the club’s recruitment team to get something done before the end of the month.

Bolton’s Mark Davies is the midfielder being most talked about, but Karanka is keeping his options open and his cards close to his chest until he gets the deals done.

The Middlesbrough boss – also looking at attacking options like Chelsea’s Patrick Bamford and Fulham’s Ross McCormack - said: “We need to bring some players in especially after losing players like Zuculini and Jack Stephens, but we have to be calm.

“The players who are here deserve to be playing because they are at the top of the table, we don’t need to change a lot of things. It is nice to be where we are without needing anything special.

“In football you never know, maybe we will have a surprise tomorrow but today I can’t say that anything is done soon.

“We need to strengthen the squad because if something happens to some positions we will have problems.

“We need one or two players in, but again we are not in a rush, we have to bring in the right player and it is good to be in that position. We are playing really well, we have really good players, so the players who come will improve the squad because they will be good players.”

Middlesbrough are also in discussions with Wigan that will see Yani Wildschut head for the DW Stadium in a permanent deal worth £1m, while full-back James Husband is heading to Huddersfield on loan.

Karanka said: “James is going to Huddersfield. We have been speaking with David Wagner (Huddersfield manager) and they are playing really well. It is a good team for Husband to go to and that will be on loan.”