Three Schalke players injured in Braunschweig on 20 August. Dominick Drexler returns – it will take a while for Kenan Karaman.

When players of second-division club FC Schalke 04 are injured, the club rarely announces exact diagnoses or expected downtimes. Therefore, in the case of Dominick Drexler, Bryan Lasme and Kenan Karaman, who were injured in the 0:1 loss at Braunschweig on 20 August, Schalke only spoke of “muscle injuries” and did not give an exact return prognosis. As the WAZ learned, Karaman got it the worst of all.

The 29-year-old winger, an integral part of the starting line-up and in very good form, suffered a torn muscle in his calf and will probably not be able to return to the team until October – possibly even after the second international break, when Schalke play Karlsruher SC (22 October, 1.30 pm/Sky).

It’s not all bad news for coach Thomas Reis, though. On Monday, Drexler started training on the pitch and did some light exercises with the ball. Drexler is not yet involved in the test match against third-division team SSV Ulm 1846 (Friday, 6.30 p.m.), but he could be back in the squad for the match against 1. FC Magdeburg (16 September, 8.30 p.m./Sport 1 and Sky).

Schalke have personnel worries at the back

This is not yet the case for Lasme, but the winger is set to return to running training. He is expected to be back in the 20-man squad either in the away game at FC St. Pauli (23 September) or on 29 September, when they travel to SC Paderborn.

Until then, Reis has personnel worries on the offensive outside positions. The only specialists available are Tobias Mohr, Soichiro Kozuki and Yusuf Kabadayi – but Kozuki is completely out of form. In the match against SV Wehen Wiesbaden (1:1), Derry John Murkin, originally signed as a left-back, helped out in the offensive – and immediately delivered his first assist.