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| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
BORUSSIA DORTMUND  Weidenfeller Piszczek, Santana, Hummels, Schmelzer Leitner, Kehl Gotze/Perisic, Kagawa, Grosskreutz Lewandowski | SCHALKE 04  Unnerstall Uchida, Papadopoulos, Matip, Fuchs Jones, Holtby Baumjohann, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar |
For Borussia Dortmund, Sven Bender suffered a horrific double injury during the Champions League match with Arsenal midweek; the holding midfielder fractured his jaw in two places as well as damaging a medial collateral ligament in his knee.
If Mario Gotze fails to shake off a leg injury, also sustained against the Gunners, expect Ivan Perisic to take his place.
Additionally, Julian Koch has torn ligaments, while Neven Subotic will miss out as he continues to recover from a facial injury sustained against Wolfsburg. In better news, Patrick Owomoyela should be fit enough to make the bench.
For the visitors, Ralf Fahrmann is continuing his recovery from a ligament injury, while skipper Benedikt Howedes and Jefferson Farfan are also sidelined, again with ligament damage.
Tim Hoogland, Peer Kluge and Levan Kenia are all set to miss the clash through injury, as well.
| DID YOU KNOW |
If Borussia Monchengladbach's lose or draw at Koln, Schalke could move into second place with a win against the hosts.
- Klass-Jan Huntelaar is the second-top scorer in the Bundesliga at the moment with 12, just one goal behind Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez.
- Schalke are unbeaten in seven games coming into Saturday's fixture, while Dortmund's good run of form came to an end on Wednesday as they were defeated 2-1 by Arsenal.
- Schalke have not won at Signal Iduna Park since 2008, when a late Fabian Ernst goal decided the match after 82 minutes.
- BVB's Shinji Kagawa and Schalke's Atsuto Uchida were both handed their international debuts with Japan in the same year, for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Prediction
Things could be tricky for Dortmund without Bender bossing the midfield, and even moreso if they have to play without the extra attacking flair of Gotze. However, the home advantage should be enough to secure three points and keep the pressure on Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
Editor's Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Schalke 04 
