Stuart Gray has taken over first team affairs from Peter Grant at Fulham , but the club continue to search for a new head coach.
Former Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday boss Gray , who has been taking this week's training sessions, has been appointed senior coach at Craven Cottage, and will be in the hot seat for Saturday's west London derby against Brentford .
Grant, who has been in interim charge for the past few weeks following the sacking of Kit Symons, has returned to his previous role in charge of the U21s.
Fulham chief football officer, Mike Rigg, told the club's website: “The search for a permanent head coach goes on, but it is important to ensure we focus fully on getting results back on track while this process continues.
“With that, I'd like to welcome Stuart Gray, who has joined the club as senior coach and has already begun working with the first team to prepare for Saturday’s home match against Brentford. Alongside Stuart will be Steve Wigley, who has assisted Stuart in training and will continue in that capacity while joining him in the dugout on match days.
“Stuart has a proven track record in both coaching and management with caretaker spells at Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to joining Sheffield Wednesday as head coach. He also had a full season in charge at Sheffield and secured their highest finish for six years, along with a record number of clean sheets.
"We all know that we have suffered from defensive frailties all season, and Stuart will be focusing on that straight away. He has first-hand knowledge of the Championship and knows how to get the very best out of a group of players, so his work with the first team will be pivotal as the search continues.
“Peter Grant will return to his permanent position of U21s coach, where his management of that group is exceptionally important in the long term development of our younger players and I would like to thank him for his excellent professionalism and commitment dealing with First Team matters over the last few weeks.
“We have built some solid foundations at the football club and ensuring we get the right person in for long term success on the pitch is vital to achieve our targets. This is a scrupulous process to ensure that the person we hire full-time understands the Club’s aims and philosophy and can deliver for us, immediately and for the long term.
"While there has been much speculation linking us with many names, we have not and will not discuss the ongoing process, nor will we appoint someone unless they are 100 per cent committed to the club and to its future.
“Of course I can understand frustrations, not least when results do not go our way, but we are working hard to make sure we get the right appointment as soon as possible. In the interim Stuart has proven coaching expertise and will enable us to stabilise the first team and when a head coach appointment is made, he will still have a key role within the football club’s coaching system.
“The most important thing now is that we focus fully on the pitch to prepare for Brentford and the busy Christmas period ahead, and get back to winning football matches and improving our position in the table. We have every expectation to do so.”
