Fulham boss Scott Parker suggested that his side are starting to come through the worst of the Covid-19 outbreak as he begins to welcome some of his squad back.
Fulham prepare to face QPR in an FA Cup Third Round tie that will be our first game since Southampton on Boxing Day.
“We’re okay. We’ve had a little bit of a rough time of late,” he admitted. “We’re getting up to speed and slowly improving, getting people back. It’s been a difficult time, but it is what it is.
"We’ve got some really good work in and some good training with the team. We can start playing again which is important for us.”
Calls for a Premier League circuit break have been heard after a sharp increase in Covid cases. A pause Parker feels isn’t required.
“Every club has proven we can operate in a safe way, but there has been an upturn in cases. We have been working in this environment for some time, and we certainly want to play football. Do I think we need a circuit breaker? No, I don’t.
“We’ve got some big games coming up. There’s no denying that our main focus is being competitive in the league and we’re not blessed with big numbers, but we’ve just had two weeks off, so we need to get up to speed in match environments.”
When quizzed on transfer activity, the Head Coach acknowledged the need for another striker, but was uncertain on outgoings.
“If you look at the balance of our squad, we only have one recognised striker,” he continued. “A lot of responsibility is on Mitro, obviously Cav’s been playing there and done very well, but I would like to strengthen.
“Obviously, Mika [Seri] wasn’t named in the 25-man squad so I’m sure he wants to play some football.”
“The responsibility is not just on football players, but everyone. We have strict protocols, but players need to take big responsibility when they leave these premises and leave our bubble. We want to do our job, we want to play football, and we want to keep playing as long as it’s a safe environment.”
QPR have found life in the Championship tough this season, and Parker will use the game as a chance to get some minutes into his squad. He knows the previous fixtures against our rivals have been tough and expects Saturday to be no different.
“It gives us an opportunity to use our squad and keep developing. A win at the weekend is something we want.
“I know Mark [Warburton] really well, when I was with Spurs for a year, Mark would often visit us. He’s a man with a lot of experience, a lot of quality. He’ll put you under pressure with the ball. His teams have a clear identity.
“There’s an opportunity for players who haven’t played as much. This is an FA Cup game, both teams have quality. Mark and his team haven’t picked up the results he may have wanted, but it’ll be a tough game.”