While it may seem trivial in the current climate, one of Barrow Raiders’ number, half-back Jakes Carter, has had some good news during the suspension to the rugby league season caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Carter had to be helped off in the Raiders’ most recent game - the 50-6 win over Coventry Bears on March 8 - after injuring his knee in the build-up to the visitors’ solitary score of the game.

The Barrow Island product was only making his comeback in that match from a shoulder injury that had kept him out since the final pre-season friendly of the winter against Workington Town in the last weekend of January.

It was feared Carter had damaged knee ligaments but subsequent scans showed that the problem isn't as bad as that, meaning he should be back fit again soon after the Raiders eventually return to action.

Head coach Paul Crarey said: "Jake's doing really, really well - he hasn't done his ligaments and he probably would have been out for three or four weeks, so he will have recovered by the time we get playing again, so that's a big plus.

"We were going to bring back Jarrad Stack for North Wales, probably a week or two early, because we thought we'd be having two games away from home that are very difficult.

"Keighley is always difficult away from home and North Wales have built a good little squad, so we wanted our senior players back for those games. We'll have them back now when the season starts again."

With hooker Nathan Mossop nearing a return anyway from a long-standing shoulder injury, Barrow should be back at full strength by the time they are able to play again.

Crarey said: "Mossy will look after himself and do whatever he needs so he'll be ready to go when we get back.

"We'll probably be at full strength when we do get back, whenever that will be, but if we have to play until the end of November then so be it if it means that rugby league survives and the club survives."