AITOR KARANKA expects his former team-mate, Fernando Amorebieta, to provide a timely boost to Middlesbrough’s promotion push following his arrival on loan.

Amorebieta’s switch from Fulham was confirmed yesterday, with the 29-year-old centre-half joining until the end of the season to provide an additional option at the heart of the back four.

Full-back James Husband has moved in the opposite direction, and while Daniel Ayala and Jonathan Woodgate should be available for the home game with Wigan Athletic on Good Friday, Amorebieta is likely to go straight into the squad to face the Latics.

The Venezuela international played with Karanka during the start of his career at Athletic Bilbao, and while his move to Fulham in the summer of 2013 has not gone to plan, it is less than three years since he was appearing in the final of both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey.

“He’s a very good lad,” said Karanka. “I’ve known him for 12 or 13 years now. He played with me in Bilbao, we were team-mates and his career has been brilliant.

“This season has been difficult for him because he got injured at the Riverside for Fulham, and after that it took time for him to play again. But as a player, he is very good.

“The main thing that he is going to bring is his experience. He has made 200 appearances in the Primera League, and two years ago, he was playing in a Europa League final, so he is a very experienced player.

“He knows how difficult it will be for him to play because our players are doing well. I explained he needs to be at his best, but he wants to support us because this is a very good challenge.”

Amorebieta, who is currently with the Venezuela national side in Miami ahead of a friendly with Peru, will not be available for the game between Middlesbrough and Fulham on April 25.

Meanwhile, Dimi Konstantopoulos is confident Boro will successfully complete their promotion push, but admits a repeat of last weekend’s no-show at Bournemouth could deliver a fatal blow to their hopes of playing in the top-flight.

Boro head into the final seven games of the season in third position, a point adrift of top spot and level on points with second-placed Watford, who they meet on Easter Monday.

As well as travelling to Watford, Boro also face away games at Norwich City and Fulham in the final month of the season, with their remaining home matches coming against Wigan, Rotherham, Wolves and Brighton.

Their fate remains too close to call, but having beaten promotion rivals Ipswich and Derby in what was billed as a pivotal week in the promotion battle, Konstantopoulos remains confident that a top-two finish will be achieved.

The Northern Echo:

“We have seven games left, every one difficult in their own way, but we’re ready to finish the job we have been building all season,” said the goalkeeper.

“We knew it was a difficult and crucial week. We started it well with a win over Ipswich when we scored four, and we showed different attributes at Derby where we had to defend and we kept a clean sheet and won.

“I thought that set us up nicely for the game at Bournemouth, but we were beaten by the better side on the day, and one of the better sides in the division.

“Overall, I think it was a good week. We’re disappointed it didn’t go a little better, but six points is not a bad return.”

Nevertheless, within the Boro dressing room, there is an acceptance that another performance like the one at the weekend could have a devastating effect on the club’s hopes of automatic promotion.

“It was one of our worst performances of the season,” said Konstantopoulos. “We didn’t deserve anything from the game, and it was a good lesson for us. We’ll be using that for the next seven games to get us where we want to be.”