AITOR KARANKA has told Barrie McKay he must improve further if he is to earn a starting spot at Nottingham Forest once again.

The former Rangers winger enjoyed a productive start to life at the City Ground after being reunited with Mark Warburton and Davie Weir as he completed a £500,000 switch from Ibrox.

But he has struggled for first team football since Karanka replaced Warburton in the dugout last year following a poor run that saw Forest drop down the Premiership standings.

McKay didn’t make the bench as Karanka’s side drew 0-0 with Norwich on Tuesday night but, when asked if he was still part of his plans, the Spanish boss said: “Yes, he is.

“But when I pick the players, I expect a certain kind of game. I plan the game in my head; I plan the possible substitutions and the possible problems we might face.

“I decided to select the players I did [at Norwich], because they are coming together.

“Barrie is doing really well, he is training very well. But it is true that when he played last time, he was not at his best.

“If we had one or two wingers on the bench, we would have won the game. With the right substitution, we would have won the game.

“Now we are in the process of wanting to win games and we are taking a risk playing with players who have slight injuries or who are a little bit tired.

“We are building a team and now, when the team has been built, we will be able to change players around.

“Every single player will have his chance. The players who are not playing are training really well.

“And when the team has been built, for sure, all of them will have an opportunity to play.”