Harry Redknapp insists the negative headlines around QPR's alleged Christmas fracas will not 'damage' their survival bid.

Steven Caulker was taken to hospital with a cut head after some R’s and Crystal Palace players met up at a south-west London pub on Sunday.

The Hoops have dismissed the reports that suggested the defender and some of his team-mates were involved in a bust-up, and will not be taking disciplinary action.

Recovered: Steven Caulker is available to face Everton on Monday

Redknapp, whose side have won back-to-back home games to climb out of the bottom three, says the saga won’t affect morale among his troops.

He said: “A few of the players went out for Sunday lunch, not all of them. There was a reserve game here on Monday so quite a few of the lads played in that.

“I didn’t stop them going. They were quite entitled to go out and do that. Steven fell over. He got a bang on the head, he got a cut. He’s fit now and we all move on. It’s done and dusted.

“I didn’t know anything about it until Monday morning. I certainly didn’t think it warranted front page headlines.

“Surely there's more important things going on in the world than Steven Caulker falling over and banging his head to make the front page.

“The headlines won't certainly damage us. It was only one lad who ended up having a problem, falling over and banging his head.

“I've always said that I’ve got no time for footballers going out and having a jolly up over Christmas or any other time, but they just went for a Sunday lunch, it wasn’t a Christmas party.”