Saturday 14 January 2017 18:29, UK
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka says Gaston Ramirez’s absence against Watford was due to injury and insisted the midfielder is not heading to Leicester.
Ramirez has been linked with a move to the Premier League champions, with reports in Italy suggesting a deal has been agreed.
The Uruguayan, who is currently out of action with a knee injury, only signed a permanent deal at Boro in July after impressing in his loan spell from Southampton.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Boro’s stalemate against Watford, Karanka said: "He is staying, he is enjoying it a lot and is a really important player for us, having only arrived one year ago."
In Ramirez’s absence, Boro created few chances at Vicarage Road in a match which was dominated by the tributes paid to the late Graham Taylor.
Watford had the better chances in truth, while Boro failed to score for the fifth time in seven Premier League matches.
“It’s a good result,” added Karanka. “To draw away against a strong team is good. We looked better in the first half, but the second half was difficult as we had to defend – which we did really well.
“Sometimes you are controlling the game and playing well, you need personality to dominate the game and try to score the first goal.
“I would like to have the same amount of points that we had in the first half of the season. To survive in this league, you need to be consistent.
“Scoring goals is about quality. We are adding quality and we have quality, but we are not scoring goals, although we do have a good defensive record, which is a good way to build the team.”
Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 9 months half price. Hurry, offer ends January 16th!
