AITOR KARANKA has insisted that there is no disagreement with Albert Adomah, despite the winger handing in a shock transfer request on Thursday.

Adomah did not start against his old club Bristol City on Saturday, and was left out of the squad that travelled to Burton Albion on Tuesday evening. Karanka was said to be angry that Adomah applauded the Bristol City fans after Boro's 1-0 defeat. It was in the aftermath of this game where a disagreement between club and player is understood to have taken place.

The Ghanaian international, who represented his country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, signed a contract extension last year which would have kept him a Middlesbrough player until 2017, but the 27-year-old can no longer see his future at the Riverside Stadium.

News of Adomah’s transfer request broke while Karanka was staging his pre-Sheffield Wednesday press conference, and the Spaniard denied any stories of a bust-up between the club and the player.

"I don't think there's any disagreement because the players know they are unhappy when they're on the bench,” said Karanka, who had not discussed the matter with Boro chief executive Neil Bausor before the press call.

"I used to be a player and I wasn't happy when I was on the bench but they know the following week they could be playing.

"For example Adam Reach was in the stands last Saturday and he played in the first XI on Tuesday.

"For me I'm not the kind of manager who says if you're on the bench one week then you'll start the next game.

"You could be in the stand one day and on the pitch the following day, I have to be fair with all of my players."

When he was directly asked whether there had been a disagreement, Karanka replied: "There's no disagreement. I have to try and choose the best 18 first, and then the best XI."

Boro are expected to reject Adomah’s transfer request.