Kenny gets back underway first
Jonjoe Kenny became the first Everton player to resume action following the coronavirus shutdown when the German Bundesliga restarted this weekend.
The full-back is on loan with Schalke 04 for the season where he has enjoyed a good campaign and he got back on the pitch before his Toffees team-mates when "Die Königsblauen" (the Royal Blues) were beaten heavily by Borussia Dortmund this afternoon.
As would be the case with the English Premier League, the game took place behind closed doors, with supporters forced to watch from home because of safety protocols barring large gatherings.
While the United Kingdom now has the highest number of officially recorded deaths from Covid-19 (the illness caused by the SARS variant virus that has spread across the globe this year) in Europe at almost 34,000, Germany has been able to keep their toll under 8,000 and with the number of active cases on the significant decline, Chancellor Angela Merkel has begun easing restrictions in her country.
That is unlikely to extend to allowing fans back into stadiums for many months, however, and the Continent will be watching the Bundesliga with interest this weekend as play resumes in unfamiliar circumstances and the players understandably short on full match fitness.
Many Evertonians have adopted Schalke as their German team for the restart because of their similar colours and the Kenny connection and they had moved themselves into contention for Europa League qualification before the Bundesliga was suspended in March.
Managed by former Huddersfield Town boss, David Wagner, they begin play this weekend sitting in sixth place, a point ahead of Wolfsburg but 10 adrift of Bayer Leverkusen in fifth.
Schalke began brightly but eventually fell behind to an opener from — who else? — Erling Braut Håland who guided a cross from the right past the stranded goalkeeper.
Schubert in the Schalke goal was the architect of his own downfall just before half-time, though, when he scuffed a clearance, BVB pounced and Raphael Gurreiro fired inside the far post.
And the home side took commanding control of the game early in the second half when Thorgen Hazard smashed home from just inside the penalty area before Guerreiro doubled his tally with another well-taken goal, Dortmund's fourth with as many shots on target.
Dortmund vs Schalke kicks off at 2:30pm BST with live coverage on BT Sport
Everton F.C. • Jonjoe Kenny • Bundesliga • FC Schalke 04 • Premier League • David Wagner • Borussia Dortmund
