Bongarts
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
SCHALKE  Hildebrand Uchida, Matip, Papadopoulos, Fuchs Jones, Holtby Farfan, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar | LEVERKUSEN  Leno Da Costa, Schwaab, Toprak, Kadlec Reinartz, Rolfes Castro, Renato Augusto, Schurrle Kiessling |
However, there is still a string of players missing for the Gelsenkirchen outfit. Both Ralf Fahrmann and Lars Unnerstall remain sidelined with a knee ligament and shoulder injury respectively, leaving Timo Hildebrand to continue in goal.
With Benedikt Howedes and Christoph Metzelder both suffering from hamstring injuries, Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Joel Matip will retain their berths at the heart of defence.
Similarly, Bayer Leverkusen are expected to name an unchanged side from the one that lost 2-1 to Borussia Monchengladbach last week.
Rene Adler is fit again, having missed the entire season, but will be firmly behind Bernd Leno in the pecking order, following the 20-year-old's impressive form since joining the club from Stuttgart.
Another player approaching a return is Sidney Sam, but the 24-year-old will not be fit to start the encounter with the Europa League quarter-finalists. Vedran Corluka is back in training, while Lars Bender and Michael Ballack both have muscle complains.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- A little under a decade ago, Schalke overcame Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the DFB-Pokal final.
- Having triumphed 1-0 at the BayArena in October, Huub Stevens' men can complete their first ever Bundesliga double over Leverkusen on Saturday.
- Schalke have scored 11 goals in their last three games, with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar bagging five of those strikes.
- The Veltins Arena has been a productive stadium for Bayer Leverkusen - the visitors have lost just once in their last Bundesliga 12 visits to Gelsenkirchen.
- Stefan Kiessling (right) has scored four goals in his last five league games.
- Robin Dutt's side have lost their last two matches, but are yet to lose three games on the trot this season.
Despite wavering fortunes over the last month, Schalke are well and truly back to top form, recording a string of convincing victories. For Leverkusen, meanwhile, things are looking gloomy, with their chances of maintining their Champions League status diminishing by the week. Accordingly, I'd expect the hosts to pull through, and hammer another nail in the coffin of Robin Dutt's European dream.
Editor's Prediction
Schalke 3-1 Leverkusen 
