Scotland Women head coach Shelley Kerr will miss her side's Euro 2022 qualifiers against Portugal and Finland next week after being identified as a close contact of a positive coronavirus case, following an outbreak in the Scotland U21 squad
Monday 23 November 2020 22:41, UK
The Scottish Football Association will review Scotland U21 safeguards after Scotland Women head coach Shelley Kerr became embroiled in a coronavirus outbreak.
Another two members of Scot Gemmill's backroom staff have returned positive tests and six Hampden employees - including Kerr - have also been ordered to quarantine after coming into close contact with the new cases.
Kerr will have to sit out her side's European Championship qualifiers away to Portugal on Friday and at home to Finland the following Tuesday.
The latest test results will cast further doubt on the measures employed by the governing body after Premiership bosses Neil Lennon, Derek McInnes and Stephen Robinson all hit out after seeing their weekend preparations turned upside down by the outbreak.
Celtic midfielder David Turnbull was withdrawn from Lennon's group to face Hibernian after testing positive along with Aberdeen midfielder Ross McCrorie and his twin brother Robby, who plays in goal for Livingston.
The Dons also saw Connor McLennan and Lewis Ferguson ruled out for Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Ibrox after they were named among 11 U21 players instructed to self-isolate following the young Scots' European qualifier in Greece.
Motherwell midfielders Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire were also among those forced to isolate after they were found to have come into close contact with the positive trio during bus and coach journeys.
The SFA retested Gemmill's backroom team over the weekend and two further positive cases were discovered.
Lennon, McInnes and Robinson have led the calls for major improvements in the SFA's safety protocols after insisting their players complied fully with the guidelines they were issued by the governing body.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has defended the measures put in place - but also apologised to the teams forced to do without key players at late notice.
"As a former club chief executive, I can fully empathise with the frustrations raised by clubs this weekend," said the ex-Partick Thistle managing director.
"Discovering on a matchday that players on international duty were considered close contacts of positive cases and therefore unavailable is hugely challenging to any club and I apologise for any and all disruption caused.
"It is important to clarify that the U21 squad undertook four Covid tests on duty - one in the days prior to meeting and one on entry to the camp, both of which were in addition to the two official UEFA mandatory tests prior to each game.
"We have conducted an examination of protocols undertaken throughout the U21 camp and it is the view of our chief medical officer that they are in line with the established protocols outlined in the Return to Football documentation.
"However, given the number of positive cases and close contacts I have instructed a thorough review of all matters relating to the U21 camp to give clubs, the association and government greater comfort."
The SFA insists Kerr followed social-distancing rules when she came into contact with one of the new positive cases but, after consulting with the Scottish Government's Elite Sport Covid Advisory Group, it was decided "the potential risk of transmission cannot be completely ruled out".
Kerr's assistant Andy Thomson will now oversee the upcoming fixtures, with support from Scotland U19s boss Billy Stark and SFA high performance manager Paul Brownlie.
Maxwell added: "Shelley is understandably devastated at not being able to be with the squad for such an important double-header.
"She has prepared extensively and meticulously with her support staff over a long period of time whilst following our protocols but will still play an active part in the preparation of the team, albeit remotely, and we have the utmost confidence in the players and staff to pull together and win their upcoming matches."
