PROMOTION is the most important thing on Middlesbrough’s agenda this season – but Aitor Karanka is intent on taking the cup competitions seriously.

Having exited the FA Cup fifth round last season at the hands of Arsenal after defeating Manchester City, which followed a Capital One Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool, Karanka is keen to keep Boro in the spotlight by impressing in the cups.

Boro travel to League One Burton Albion tonight, managed by former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and while Karanka is aware that Boro would represent a big scalp for the Brewers, he underlined the importance of progression.

“I’m going to put out the strongest team possible because we need to win the game,” said the Boro head coach. “The cup for us last season was very good. We played against some amazing teams, everybody could recognise Middlesbrough after that. We will put the best 11 players on the pitch to win the game.

“Every game is important. Promotion from the league is a marathon, it’s 46 games, but the cups – if you have a good run you could get to the final and that would be amazing for everyone. So I prepare exactly the same as I do for the league games.”

Boro lost their first game of the season on Saturday at the hands of newly-promoted Bristol City, while they failed to beat fellow newcomers Preston North End on the first day of the season. Karanka is wary of sides that have gained promotion as they have the momentum and expects a similar situation with Burton, who were promoted from League Two last season.

“We couldn’t beat Preston and Bristol City, that’s two teams that got promotion last season,” said Karanka. “Burton got promotion from League Two to League One and are in a very good way. We’re going to work a lot if we want to win the game.

“Always when you are playing against a team in a division above you there is a greater motivation. A team like us is a motivation for them. They are a good team that are playing well. They’ve got a good team and a good manager and it’s going to be a tough game.”

Karanka expects a reaction from his players following the defeat to the Robins on Saturday.

He added: “When we are disappointed with the way we play, getting a reaction out of the players is always good. I’m confident, I expect the players to have forgotten everything from Saturday. “This is now the cup, against a League One team but they are a good team, a good manager who knows this club perfectly, it’s going to be a difficult game.”

Boro, who had made four changes before the Bristol City game, were poor in the first half but improved after half-time, finding it impossible to break down Steve Cotterill’s side. It was a performance that left Karanka scratching his head.

“It’s frustration, but it’s not just our chances that frustrated me. I could not believe how we could play one week before like that, then play a week later in a different way,” said the Spaniard. “Especially against a team that had played on the Wednesday, and travelled up from Bristol on a coach for six hours.

“For that reason it was difficult for me to understand at half-time. In the second half we were better and had more chances, but to miss those chances with the players we had, it was frustrating.

“Now we have many games ahead so we have to think about the future. For now, we forget about the league and focus on the game we’re playing next.

“Our defeat on Saturday shows that Burton can beat us. Bristol were in League One and Burton will be confident they can beat us.”