AITOR KARANKA thinks Yanic Wildschut has a bright future on Teesside despite struggling to make an impact in the Championship since joining Middlesbrough.

The Dutch winger has stunned team-mates at the club’s Rockliffe Park training HQ with his quick speed but supporters are yet to see him in full flow.

It is more than five weeks since he moved from Heerenveen and he is still to make his first start for Boro. In fact, his only two outings have been as a late substitute at Charlton in the Championship and at Liverpool in the Capital One Cup.

Given the depth of Karanka’s squad, the manager has appeared almost reluctant to throw the 22-year-old into action. But the Spanish boss remains confident Wildschut will be a success at the Riverside Stadium.

“With Yanic, he is the kind of player that has come from another country and needs time,” said Karanka. “I would like to have put him in two or three games ago, but I didn’t get the right moment to bring him in.

“The only game we had a chance to play him was Brentford at home. The other game against Cardiff was difficult because the team was playing very well.

“He needs to work and settle in better but I have no doubt he is going to be a very good player for us in the future. He has to think that this league doesn’t finish until May. He is young and a quality player. I’m happy to have him in the squad.”

Wildschut has arrived as a winger, but he has been used as an alternative striker by Karanka which highlights his versatility.

But the excellent form of Adam Reach and Albert Adomah down the flanks has made it difficult for him to force his way in to the starting line-up.

Reach and Adomah both scored in the 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, when Wildschut had to watch from the bench again. The international break should also mean that both Reach and Adomah get the rest they need to keep their place at Brighton on Saturday week.

Karanka also has the option of fielding Emilio Nsue out wide as well as Emmanuel Ledesma, Luke Williams or even Lee Tomlin. The strong competition for places is exactly what the former Real Madrid assistant manager has craved and he feels all of his players will be required.

He said: “It’s a nice problem to have these players to come in. My problem is not to choose the players because I always try to put the best team out.

“The problem is the players have to think about the team. I have to choose the best 11 players for a game and I have to think how I can use them.

“It’s possible in this league for them to play many games. Look at Manu (Ledesma). I decided to put him in on last Tuesday against Blackpool instead of Yanic, because he knows the league and he played with me last season.

“Maybe in the future I will choose Yanic instead of Manu. The most important thing for me is to choose the right players to the right game and to know that I have options to choose from. That will help us going forward.”

Karanka also suggested it will be a matter of time before Jelle Vossen gets his first goal for the club. Vossen has started two games and appeared three times as a substitute, but has still to find the net since his season-long loan switch from Genk.

But Karanka said: “There are reasons why Jelle hasn’t played as much, he wasn’t fit for the two games (before the Fulham game) so it was impossible to put him in! We will need everyone.”