WHEN Aitor Karanka announces his starting line-up for tomorrow’s game at Rotherham there will be some disappointment within his squad, but the Middlesbrough head coach insists having an unselfish squad is a key ingredient to being successful in the Championship.

Karanka has developed a reputation for tinkering with his side to cope with the physical demands of the second tier and most players have had to accept a place on the bench at some stage with the Spaniard keen to keep his team fresh.

While some players have come in, impressed and kept their places, others are still waiting for their opportunities but Karanka insists he has the backing of his players and that their attitude will stand them in good stead when it gets to the business end of the season.

“The players believe the squad is stronger,” the head coach said. “I have players like I have because they understand perfectly their positions in the squad.

“They all understand that the team is playing well and that I will only make so many changes.

“If they are not playing it is because I can’t give them the right chances but I like to have players that understand that like James (Husband) or Yanic Wildschut or Emmanuel Ledesma, players who are not playing.

“The most important thing for me is that when we finish a game they are happy because we have won.

“Other teams have players that are selfish and only think about themselves. It doesn’t matter if the team won or lost they don’t care, but we have a squad that is happy for us even if they are not playing.”

One player still waiting for his chance is Husband. The left-back signed from Doncaster in the summer, but has made only one league start.

With George Friend turning in strong performances on a regular basis, Karanka insists the 20-year-old will have to bide his time.

He said: “The players know me. They know that if they are not playing it is because I have other options that are better for certain games or the players are playing very well.

“James is a very important part of the squad. He is training very well and is being patient for his chance.

“We have a lot of games and I think he is going to get his chance. He has to think about his future. He is a young lad.

“At the moment his position is George Friend’s and he is a very important player for me, but in the way that he is training he is going to have a chance.”

The Teessiders will come up against a familiar face tomorrow in Richard Smallwood, who signed a three-year deal with the Millers in the summer.

Having come up through the ranks at Boro’s academy, the Dormanstown midfielder found himself out of the picture under Karanka, but the 23-year-old believes he wasn’t given enough chances to impress.

“It is the game I am looking forward to the most for obvious reasons,” said Smallwood, who helped the Millers secure promotion last season.

“I have just signed from them, it will be good and I can’t wait.

“I was part of that club for a lot of years and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. But I have moved on now and it’s a new chapter in my career now.

“It was frustrating how things went there, but obviously the manager did not think I was worthy of a regular spot.

“It’s just unfortunate really, in senior football things like that happen. I just tried to work hard and take it on the chin.

“I enjoyed my time there. I don’t know if I was given enough chances, I don’t know who decides that really.

“Every time I played I tried my best, but in the end it just didn’t work out.

“Aitor decided to go with other players and that’s where we are, I am at Rotherham and I can’t wait for the game.”