FC Schalke 04 are guests at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday evening. S04 coach Thomas Reis talks about the personnel in the run-up.

FC Schalke 04’s recent trend has been slightly upwards. However, a few good efforts in the 0:0 home draw against Cologne were not enough for the longed-for liberation. Above all, the harmless offensive remains a shortcoming.

In the fourth game of the year, Schalke are finally looking for their first win, although the task has not necessarily become any easier: The Königsblauen host Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday evening (18:30, RS-Liveticker).

The starting position should not give Schalke much encouragement. Gladbach recently celebrated a clear victory at Hoffenheim (4:1), while Schalke have not won away from home in 36 games. And the last success at Borussia was almost ten years ago.

At least, from S04’s point of view, it is pleasing that the squad has become broader thanks to new arrivals and returnees in the winter. “I’m glad that we’ve got a few players, so I can think about the line-up,” said coach Thomas Reis in a media round on Thursday. “I have several ideas in my head. That’s always about the last game and the upcoming game as well. “

In addition to the long-term injured Sebastian Polter, Sepp van den Berg and Justin Heekeren, the coach will only have to do without Marcin Kaminski. The centre-back is ill and had to take a break from training.

The personnel situation is particularly exciting in the midfield centre. After the team almost set itself up in recent weeks, Rodrigo Zalazar and Alex Kral are fit again after injuries. They both came on as substitutes in the 0-0 draw against Cologne. And with Eder Balanta, a new defensive midfielder arrived from FC Brugge shortly before the transfer deadline.

“He makes a very good impression,” says Reis about Balanta, who made his debut directly in the test match against SG Wattenscheid on Tuesday (6:0). Will he immediately become an option against Gladbach? “He is present, robust and calm on the ball. He lacks a bit of match practice, but that’s the same for other players,” said Reis.

The 49-year-old also left open the question of whether hopefuls Kral and Zalazar could be considered for a place in the starting eleven again. “He is still lacking a few percentages, but the possibility is there,” Reis said of Kral.

And on Zalazar, who made a visible impact on Schalke’s attacking play against Cologne, Reis added: “There are reasons to bring him on from the start. Or we can bring him off the bench to make an impact later in the game. We will be careful with him, he is not yet at 100 per cent. “