Self-isolating Parker to work from home when Fulham face Southampton

Scott Parker will work from home when Fulham face Southampton on Boxing Day after a member of his household tested positive for coronavirus.

The Fulham boss has been self-isolating this week despite returning a negative result and will be clear to return to the dugout for the trip to Tottenham on Wednesday if he tests negative again.

Matt Wells and Stuart Gray will take charge of first-team affairs at Craven Cottage on Saturday, but Parker will try to be as involved as possible from home.

“We have a Premier League game on Saturday which I’m not going to be able to take part in, or this week’s training leading into it,” Parker said on Thursday.

“We’re doing all we can, we’ve got everything set up, I’m in constant dialogue with my staff, I’ve got an unbelievable team around me. You’d probably expect me to say that but it’s the truth. They’ve been working with me for a long time so I know the players are in good hands.

“I’ll do all I can from home. I’ll be in constant dialogue, I’ll have a feed going into the dugout. I’ll have my laptop and screens with a lot of angles of the game, so I’ll be in constant dialogue with how I see things.

“Is that going to be as good as being live and being around it? Of course not, but that’s the predicament I’m in at this present moment in time. But I’ve got great staff and great coaches here who will take the reins more personally there, but also I can still have a big influence.”

“I’m absolutely gutted and disappointed that I’m not able to be there at the weekend. I’m feeling well but a member of my household tested positive, and due to the guidelines I’ve had to self-isolate. My family member is fine and on the mend.”#FULSOU pic.twitter.com/QWShQOfHgE

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) December 24, 2020

Fulham are 18th in the Premier League, two points adrift of safety, but have not won a home league game on Boxing Day since 2003, when they beat Southampton 2-0.

However, Saints have won three of their past four Premier League meetings with Fulham and kept a clean sheet in each of those triumphs.

Southampton have also enjoyed wins from six of the last eight league games the south-coast outfit have played on Boxing Day, losing only once in that sequence.