MICHAEL Carrick says he'll weigh up what's best for Law McCabe as Middlesbrough consider the next step for the talented young midfielder.

Carrick didn't rule out a loan move for the teenager this month but said he's in no rush to make a decision.

Boro's boss is delighted with how McCabe is progressing and improving even though first team opportunities have been hard to come by this season.

The 18-year-old, who enjoyed an impressive breakthrough last term, hasn't played a minute in the Championship for Boro this season.

He did, however, feature in both cup competitions, and was Boro's best player in Saturday's home defeat to Blackburn in the FA Cup third round. Despite that impressive display, McCabe is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench - at best - for Saturday's Championship trip to Portsmouth.

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It's not clear at this stage whether Aidan Morris will be fit to return at Fratton Park, but Carrick has opted to pair Hayden Hackney and Dan Barlaser in the absence of the American international and club captain Jonny Howson.

Despite his lack of football, Carrick is pleased with how McCabe is developing.

He said: “He’s gone through different periods, Law. He’s trained with us and been around us an awful lot, especially earlier in the season - he was with us pretty much every day.

"Then he went and played some games with the U21s because he needed that balance. So he played quite a bit in that period before coming back to join us again recently."

Asked whether a loan move is a possibility this month, Carrick said: “We’ll see. It’s purely about what’s best for Law, really. We’ll make a call on that when we need to. I’m pretty calm about that. He’s doing well, improving and developing, and he’s in and around the group regularly. Sometimes training day in day out with us is a big experience and learning curve in itself.”