Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock says he is hopeful the club will sign some players in the January transfer window, but admits he is not sure if the right options are out there at the minute.

Warnock is currently working with one of the Championship's smaller squad at the Riverside Stadium at the moment, and it does seem as though that is something he is keen to do.

However, Warnock also admits he is unsure whether players would be willing to come in as cover for those who are currently playing so well in his senior side, which he says could make recruitment difficult come the turn of the year.

Speaking about the prospect of doing business in January, the 'Boro boss told The Northern Echo: "I think Steve(Gibson, the chairman), wants to support me whenever he can, but you’ve got to bring in better than what you’ve got, and who could you realistically bring in to replace (Anfernee) Dijksteel or (Marc) Bola or (Paddy) McNair or (Jonny) Howson? It’s very difficult.” 

“We’ll have to try to bring people in to provide cover in certain areas, but you’ve got to get the right player in."

Explaining the type of player who might be capable of filling that role, Warnock added: "You’ve got to get a good pro who’s willing to do that. You’re probably talking about an older player because they’re not going to be a regular in your team.

“You can only get a certain type of player who is willing to come in to be cover. It’s probably got to be somebody who knows me and wants to come and enjoy it, or somebody who has been bombed out of somewhere else.

"It’s like loaning a player from the Premier League – there’s a couple that I fancy to loan, but if I loan them, I’ve got to play them. Their clubs aren’t going to loan them to me unless I’m going to play them, but they couldn’t get in my team.”

As things stand, Middlesbrough are currently eighth in the Championship table, just two points off the play-off places after 13 league games of the season.

The Verdict

It does seem as though Middlesbrough could benefit from getting a couple more bodies through the door in January at least.

With such a heavy schedule to come over the rest of the season, they could certainly benefit from that extra scope to rotate as injuries and suspensions take their toll.

As Warnock says however, it would be hard for him to justify dropping many of those currently playing for his side, in favour of new signings, given how well they have been playing, and that lack of guaranteed game time for new players will make business difficult.