AITOR KARANKA has defended Tomas Mejias despite the goalkeeper’s error contributing to the decisive goal in Middlesbrough’s 1-0 defeat to Leeds United.

Mejias, who was starting a Championship game for the first time in almost six months in place of the suspended Dimi Konstantopoulos, failed to reach Grant Leadbitter with an intercepted throw moments before Alex Mowatt broke the deadlock at the weekend.

The former Real Madrid reserve made a number of errors prior to being demoted at the start of the season, and was equally unreliable last term before falling below Konstantopoulos in the pecking order.

However, he performed impressively in the recent FA Cup matches with Manchester City and Arsenal, and Karanka feels it would be unfair to single him out for criticism.

“If people want to comment about Tomas, then they have to watch the game against Man City and see how he did there,” said the Boro head coach. “They should also watch the game against Arsenal and look at his performance in that game.

“It is not a problem for me. I will always defend any of the players who have problems because they are my players and I am always going to defend them.”

With Konstantopoulos available, Mejias is expected to return to the substitutes’ bench for tomorrow’s game with Bolton Wanderers, although it remains to be seen whether Jelle Vossen is passed fit to face the Trotters.

The Belgian striker left the field on a stretcher in the closing stages of Saturday’s game, having been involved in a nasty clash of heads with Leeds midfielder Lewis Cook.

Vossen was briefly knocked out, and required a lengthy spell of medical treatment on the pitch before he was finally lifted onto the stretcher.

He travelled to hospital immediately after the final whistle, but was given a clean bill of health after a series of examinations.

“Just got home from the hospital,” tweeted Vossen on Saturday evening. “Can’t remember what happened, but everything okay. Feeling very well now.”

Nevertheless, with a number of high-profile concussion cases having been in the headlines recently, Boro’s medical staff will have to tread carefully as they assess whether Vossen is fit enough to be considered for selection tomorrow.

“I am not thinking about the game on Tuesday for him yet,” said Karanka. “The main thing is that Jelle gets better as soon as possible because the most important thing is his health.”

Karanka was frustrated at Boro’s failure to take anything from Saturday’s game, but refused to criticise his players’ efforts as they dominated possession and won a remarkable 18 corners.

He was particularly impressed with his side’s first-half display, and rejected suggestions that they had struggled to deal with the pressure of being at the top of the table.

“I don’t think the team were anxious,” he said. “When you are anxious, you don’t pass the ball properly and you do not play well. That was not the case here.

“I actually think that was one of our best games of the season. In the first half, I thought the players were amazing, and at half-time, I told them that we were playing very, very well.

“The main emotion is frustration because we did everything we could to try to win the game. We couldn’t do that, but I can’t say anything bad about my players because they have all done their best.

“Now we have to keep going and not forget why we are in the position where we are now. That’s because we have been doing really well, and we can’t forget that we are a very good team.”