Fulham’s clash with Tottenham ‘in doubt’ following number of positive Covid tests at the club

Fulham’s visit to Tottenham on Wednesday could be postponed following a number of positive Covid-19 tests at the Cottagers, according to reports.

According to The Athletic, a number of people associated with Fulham have tested positive for the virus which has placed major doubt on whether the Premier League encounter will go ahead.

Fulham boss Scott Parker will return to the dugout for the game should it get given the green light, following the completion a 10-day self-isolation period after a member of his household tested positive for Covid-19. 

Fulham’s trip to face Spurs is in doubt after a number of positive Covid tests at the club

A number of people at the club have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus

The 40-year-old returned a negative test last week but continued to self-isolate in accordance with the Government guidelines before returning another negative test at the weekend.

On his return, Parker revealed he was happy to return but could now be made to wait should the game be postponed.

Parker said: ‘I am back in. Obviously I had to self-isolate for 10 days so I’ve done that and I got a negative result again two days ago, so I’m back in with the team.

‘I am pleased about that, it has been a difficult time but I’m pleased to be back and preparing for what is a big game on Wednesday against Spurs.’ 

The news comes hours after the Premier League confirmed that there are 18 new positive Covid-19 tests among players and staff, the highest weekly total since Project Restart.

Should the game go ahead, Scott Parker will return to the Fulham dugout against Spurs

The latest round of testing saw 1,479 players and staff tested and the results show a sharp increase on last week’s total a day after Manchester City‘s trip to face Everton at Goodison Park was postponed due to an outbreak in City’s squad over the Christmas period.  

In the top four divisions, nine matches on Tuesday have been postponed due to outbreaks of the virus. Morecambe, who are due to play Chelsea in the third round of the FA Cup, Doncaster Rovers and Rochdale have all seen multiple matches postponed due to the spread of the virus. 

Southampton also confirmed that Ralph Hasenhuttl will not be in the dugout for their clash against West Ham on Tuesday after a member of the manager’s household tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. 

The Saints boss is set to manage the game from home via a video and audio link.

The outbreak at Ipswich last week prompted club physio Matt Byard to urge authorities to consider a ‘circuit breaker’ postponement to halt the spread.

Tottenham are set to host the Cottagers in their final Premier League game of 2020 this week

Manager Paul Lambert tested positive for Covid-19 along with five players. General manager Lee O’Neill also tested positive.

Byard said: ‘I know the EFL are looking at bringing in extra measures, with maybe more testing for example. I have always supported routine testing to secure a return to playing programme.

‘Personally, with so many clubs affected by this presently and this new strain development, football may benefit from a ‘circuit breaker’ before a return to playing securely.’ 

Despite rising numbers of cases, Everton were furious at the decision to call off their game with City just hours before they were due to kick-off. Everton wanted to play and had started pre-match preparations at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool, their usual base. 

Everton will now ask the Premier League for full disclosure on how they arrived at the decision to get transparency on the reasons behind it. 

The Premier League have reported its highest number of Covid-19 cases since Project Restart and Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus is one of the 18 cases in the latest week of testing

Premier League rules state that matches should go ahead if a club has 14 available players, including a goalkeeper, although decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis and dependant on circumstances — particularly in relation to the pandemic. 

The precautionary measure is understood to have taken into consideration that some of those players who tested negative on Monday may return different results on Wednesday.

City could not test twice, given the tight turnaround following Boxing Day’s fixture, and sources maintained that all involved at Goodison Park would have been exposed to unnecessary risk.