Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil insists there's no reason to push Afonso Alves.

"It will take him some time to adjust, but it bodes well for the future to have him gradually adapting," O'Neil told the Evening Gazette.

"The team is playing so well that we don't have to rush him, We've seen how it took Tuncay time to get used to the English game, and we are now seeing him score goals, and it could well be the same for Alves.

"When he reaches full fitness it could come at just the right time for us to keep our momentum going. When one unbeaten run ends as it did at Liverpool, it's important to start another one, and I feel we can do that."