Bongarts
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
SCHALKE  Hildebrand Hoger, Metzelder, Matip, Fuchs Jones, Holtby Obasi, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar | HAMBURG  Drobny Diekmeier, Westermann, Bruma, Jansen Sala, Rincon, Kacar, Ilicevic Arslan Petric |
Huub Stevens' dearth of defenders is set to continue, with Kyriakos Papadopoulos ruled out of the contest with Hamburg thanks to his red card in last weekend's loss to Freiburg. Benedikt Howedes is still missing with a hamstring problem, but there is good news in the form of Christoph Metzelder's return to fitness.
Lars Unnerstall and Ralf Fahrmann are both still missing through a shoulder injury and a torn anterior cruciate ligament respectively, leaving Timo Hildebrand to continue his first-team run in goal.
Upfront, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is back in training after missing the last two games through a concussion sustained on international duty, while Teemu Pukki is available again after being cup-tied for the Europa League trip to Twente.
Hamburg are without a number of players of their own for this encounter. Dennis Aogo will miss the game with a tight calf, leaving Marcell Jansen to drop back and fill in at left back.
David Jarolim has accumulated five yellow cards and will accordingly be unavailable through suspension, as will Paolo Guerrero, who was dismissed in last week's loss to Stuttgart and will serve an eight-game ban.
Tomas Rincon is a doubt, having missed training this week thanks to a calf problem of his own, but Gokhan Tore is likely to fill a space on the bench after his return to fitness.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Schalke have won seven of the 10 matches they have played after being involved in European exertions during midweek.
- The hosts have scored at least one goal in each of their last nine Bundesliga home fixtures.
- Raul (right) needs just one more goal to become the sixth foreigner to score 25 Bundesliga goals, and the second Spaniard to do so.
- The Veltins Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Hamburg - they have not been beaten in Gelsenkirchen since 2004.
- Despite failing to win any of their last three games, Thorsten Fink's men are unbeaten in their last eight away games.
- Hamburg have scored just 28 goals after 24 games this season. They have managed fewer than that figure on only two occasions.
Neither of these teams can buy a win at the moment. While Schalke will be boosted by likely return of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, their resources are stretched to the brink, and playing a large portion on Thursday's trip to Twente with 10 men will have done nothing to alleviate that. Paolo Guerrero will be a huge up front loss for Hamburg, and I can't see them capitalising on Schalke's defensive problems after such a demoralising defeat to Stuttgart last week.
Editor's Prediction
Schalke 1-1 HSV 
