MICHAEL Carrick is looking forward to Middlesbrough's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at League One Port Vale and is delighted there's such excitement on Teesside - but the head coach will put the last eight clash on the back burner for now as he instead focuses on the coming challenges in the Championship.

Boro's reward for beating Exeter City on Tuesday night is a trip to Port Vale, the lowest ranked side left in the competition, and a glorious opportunity to reach the last four of the League Cup for the first time since lifting the trophy 20 seasons ago.

There's understandable excitement among supporters, which Carrick welcomes, but with eight league games to play before the trip to Vale Park, the head coach says Boro can't let their Championship concentration slip.

"I don't want to be a spoiler but from our point of view, yeah, that's the thought process," said Boro's boss.

"When it comes around we'll be hugely looking forward to it.

"It's fantastic for the supporters and that's why we approach the cup so seriously. We understand what cup runs can bring to the supporters and the club in general, but of course there's a lot to go on before then. Our minds can't wander. We have to keep the focus on what's ahead for us."

READ MORE:

Boro beat Championship rivals Huddersfield in the first round of this year's competition and four games away at lower league sides have followed.

At every stage, Carrick has stressed the importance of not underestimating the lower league opponents and that will again be the case when the quarter-final tie does come around.

He said: "First of all we're just delighted to be in the draw. We've been away in every game so far and we've got another away game. It's one we look forward to. We're happy to be involved in the competition at this stage.  It's great to have the cup run so we'll look forward to that.

"It's a whole new challenge. It will be tough. It's an opportunity for Port Vale as well as it is for us. They'll see it as that. It's about getting through to the next round. Regardless of who else is in the competition, it doesn't matter to us at this stage, it's whats ahead of us. We'll approach the game as we have done the rest and really look forward to it.

"I will be looking forward to it. We'll make plans for that but it's a long way away. Really for us, it's further down the line.

"It's an opportunity because we're still in the competition. It was an opportunity on Tuesday and it will be an opportunity when it come around late December, but equally it's an opportunity for them. It's not about taking them lightly, we'll look forward to the game."

Carrick's immediate focus is on the trip to Plymouth on Saturday as Boro look to get back to winning ways in the Championship after last weekend's Stoke defeat.

Boro again look set to be without the likes of Marcus Forss, Riley McGree and Darragh Lenihan, as well as the long-term absentees, but there are no fresh injury concerns.

Carrick said: "Thankfully as I speak there's not anything new.

"A few boys have played minutes that they needed. For them to come through the game, there's a bit of fatigue and they'll recover well, but in terms of injuries we're in as good shape as we were going into the (Exeter) game."