Aitor Karanka: Middlesbrough yet to provide update amid conflicting reports

The 42-year-old is reported to have stormed out of a pre-match team meeting on Friday morning

Aitor Karanka (GETTY IMAGES)

Middlesbrough are yet to provide an update concerning the future of manager Aitor Karanka after the Spaniard missed the 2-0 defeat at Charlton on Sunday.

The 42-year-old is reported to have stormed out of a pre-match team meeting at the Teesside club’s Rockliffe Park training complex on Friday morning only to be denied access to the premises the following day.

Karanka, a former assistant to José Mourinho at Real Madrid, has previously suffered fractured relations with departed coach Craig Hignett and midfielder Albert Adomah during his largely successful 28-month reign.

Third-place Hull City can leapfrog Middlesbrough into the Championship automatic places with a home victory against managerless Nottingham Forest on Tuesday before the two promotion contenders meet at the Riverside this Friday.

Assistant manager Steve Agnew was in the dugout for the defeat at the Valley and has since reiterated that he won’t allow the current saga to become an excuse for the players.

It was Boro’s second loss to a side in the relegation zone in a week after falling to a 1-0 reverse to Neil Warnock’s Rotherham United in midweek.

“The preparation before the game was fine, that is no excuse for the performance,” Agnew said. “We've got to move forward, we've lost the game 2-0 and didn't perform well. We've just got to work towards the run-in.”

Despite remaining among the favourites to secure a place in the Premier League next season, Karanka's side have won just three of their last 11 matches, taking 12 points from a possible 33.

A club statement on Saturday confirmed the former Madrid and Athletic Bilbao defender would not be in attendance at the weekend and added: “We appreciate supporters will want to know further details, but at this time the club cannot make any further comment.”