BEN GIBSON has been told to focus on his day job with Middlesbrough after learning Sam Allardyce will be monitoring his performances ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Gibson has become a key member of the Boro team over the last couple of years and attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs before committing to a new five-year deal in August.

But the 23-year-old, who has been part of Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21s, is firmly in the sights of England boss Allardyce and his coaching staff who will keep an eye on him in the Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and West Ham United.

Those are the last two domestic fixtures before the England squad will be announced for the qualifiers with Malta on October 8 and Slovenia three days later.

But Karanka, who is keen for Middlesbrough to return to better form after back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Everton, does not want Gibson to be thinking about a call-up for his country.

The Middlesbrough head coach said: "He has to focus on his job, playing games here as well as he's been doing and if the national team call comes it shows he's doing a really good job here.

“It would be his worst mistake thinking he can go to the national team he has an important game this Saturday against Tottenham. He's a calm lad so I think and I know he'll remain calm and he's going to be just thinking about the game on Saturday.

"It can be the worst mistake to think about the national team when he's only played five games in the Premier League so if next week if he's on the England list then we can celebrate, but at the moment the main thing is to think about the Tottenham game.”

Even if Allardyce overlooks him this time around he is keen to see him with the squad before the end of the year. That would mean being called up for the qualifier with Scotland on November 11 and the friendly against Spain on November 15.

Before that time Middlesbrough have testing dates with Arsenal and Manchester City, with Allardyce hoping that Gibson can shine because he is a left-footed centre-back.

Karanka, the former Real Madrid defender, said: "It's really important - I used to be one of them. There's not too many really good left footed central defenders around so for that reason it's an advantage, but you need more than to just be left footed. As a player he's improving but again we have to keep him calm and to go step by step.”

Karanka hinted Gibson would start against Tottenham on Saturday even though he is weighing up changes after the defeats to Palace and Everton.

Middlesbrough have conceded five goals in those two games and he is keen to find a way to make his team tighter; having seen them shine in the Championship defensively on a regular basis.

There are no fresh injury problems and midfielder Adam Clayton has been passed fit after training this week following his knock at Everton.

Karanka has defended goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who has been installed as his first choice goalkeeper since his move in the summer. The former Barcelona man has received some criticism from sections of supporters, but he still has the faith of the man who signed him.

The Middlesbrough boss said: "He's done well, he's an experienced player but the main thing that everyone has to understand is it's not Victor Valdes at Barcelona. If he was at the level, then he wouldn't be here.

“He would be at a top team in the world, not just in England, so for that reason I didn't bring him in just because he was an amazing keeper at Barcelona. I brought him in because he's a strong character, he's an experienced character in the dressing room and he's going to help us a lot.”

Asked if Valdes, who has won everything on the domestic and international front, can return to the sort of form that made him Barcelona No 1, Karanka said: "I hope. I hope.

“He's not been playing for the last two and a half years, but he has everything here to recover his confidence, he has an amazing training ground, an amazing atmosphere, an amazing club and amazing people trusting him so I'm looking forward for him.

"He's a winner and he doesn't like to lose, not even in a game of five a side so he's the type of character I want in the squad.”