Paul Warne relieved to escape his garden shed and return to touchline duties with Rotherham United

Isolation at his home in Tickhill and watching his Rotherham United side remotely from the TV screen in his garden shed has been as tough as it gets.

‘Very unenjoyable’ as he puts it with no hint of understatement from the hands-on manager.

A long weekend trip to Reading with the nights drawing in may be unappetising to many in his profession. But for Warne – with his spell in quarantine after one of his family members tested positive for Covid-19 now over – it is something he will cherish, no matter what he says.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong, a match-day on the side of the pitch for any manager is not the most enjoyable time of your life. If someone tells you that, they are lying.

“But at least, you can have some effect and speak to the coaches, subs and make a change.

“Obviously, I was involved with the substitutions, but it feels a bit surreal when your goalie coach phones you up and says: ‘Look, there is a problem, what do you think to this, this and this’ and you are two minutes behind where they are in the game.

“In fairness, these are all my ‘family’ – all my staff and players. They pretend they miss me, but they don’t. But I actually do miss them. It is nice to be back in that respect. Once you watch from far afield, that is not the same.

“I can sympathise with the fans in that respect. You are still part of it, but it just is not the same.”

United, unbeaten on their travels this term, head south without luckless defender Clark Robertson, expected to be out for four months after suffering a fresh foot injury.

The news is better regarding keeper Jamal Blackman, set to be back in training today after feeling soreness in his ankle towards the end of Tuesday night’s draw at Nottingham Forest.

If the Chelsea loanee does miss out, fellow transfer window signing Viktor Johansson will make his debut – but with veteran custodian Lewis Price not named in the club’s 24-man squad submitted to the EFL, there is unlikely to be a substitute keeper on the bench.

Warne, who is leaving a spot open for a potential free agent signing, said: “Jamal did not train on Thursday, but we fully expect him to train on Friday and be playing on Saturday and if he does not, Viktor will play and that will be fine with me.

“I have not got a contingency plan, I would go complete ‘balls out’ and take just one keeper and have all outfield subs, which we would have done years ago and there will be no drama.

“(Although) in the world of worst-case scenarios, I would like to have a goalkeeper on the bench.”

The Millers manager, who once donned the goalkeeping gloves in an emergency during a game in his playing days, quipped: “It can’t be that hard can it? I went in goal once when the keeper got injured at Brighton.

“It can’t be hard to put a pair of gardening gloves on and go in the net. Any of them could do that. Crooksy (Matt Crooks) could do it. Smudge (Michael Smith) thinks he is a goalkeeper, Woody (Richard Wood) definitely would come for crosses.”

Specifically on his own experiences between the posts, they were decidedly mixed.

He added: “I faced a penalty and convinced myself I was going to save it and got nowhere near it. I dived and was still like six metres from it.

“But I came for a couple of crosses that I was really pleased with...

“I was disappointed with my goal-kicks, my distance wasn’t what I thought it was going to be because I am 5ft 10 and the goalie I replaced was 6ft 2in.

“The shirt was not flattering and people know how I like my clothing to be tight, so I was more like the goalie off Kes. It did not really boost my confidence and self-esteem.”

Thank goodness, it is back to normal for Warne tomorrow.

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Thank you, James Mitchinson. Editor.