Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has claimed that Christian Stuani still needs time to adapt to English football after the Uruguayan led his side to a spot in the League Cup second round.

Stuani scored twice in his first start for the club as Middlesbrough recorded a 3-1 victory over Oldham, but Karanka believes that it is important to remain patient with the forward.

"A striker needs confidence and that's the main thing," he told the club's website. "I can't expect Cristian to score two goals every game, he needs time.

"He came from Spain where he scored but this league is different to settle in. The goals were important for him and for the players to know that we have another striker with Kike who can score goals."

Stuani was signed from Espanyol for a reported £2.8m in the summer.