The relegation zone is dangerously close again for FC Schalke. The team must deliver on Sunday against Karlsruher SC, and that’s what the coach wants to achieve.

If you regularly mess up your away games like FC Schalke 04, you have to deliver at home. The Royal Blues will therefore once again be under pressure in front of their home crowd when Karlsruher SC, a team of the moment, visit Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (13:30).

KSC come to FC Schalke on the back of a brilliant 7-0 win over Magdeburg, and the last few games have left them just six places off the relegation places.

However, if Schalke can maintain the form they have shown in recent home games, they will be in with a chance, as Karlsruhe have not been able to pull out all the stops away from home.

In terms of personnel, S04 coach Karel Geraerts will not be able to field his desired formation, especially in defense. Two regulars, Brandon Soppy and Ron Schallenberg, are out. Leo Greiml and Lino Tempelmann also have to miss out, while Timo Baumgartl has been sent to the U23s.

Ahead of the 90 minutes, the coach held out the prospect of Assan Ouedraogo slipping into the first eleven, as he emphasized: “I spoke to him on Thursday. He says he feels very good, he sees himself at 80 or 90 percent. That’s why he’s an option for the starting eleven.”

Which could certainly give the offense a boost, but in view of the opponent, it seems even more important that the defense stands firm. Geraerts on the opponents and the task facing his team: “Karlsruhe are very good offensively, they score a lot of goals, almost three goals per game in 2024. For me, the most important thing is that we work collectively on our defense. As a defender, you have to defend your goal like your house or your family. We can’t be naive.”

When asked about the unrest that once again surrounds the club, the Belgian gave a clear message: “We have to focus on soccer. I already said after the game in Berlin that it’s going to be a long two weeks, there could be chin-stroking from all corners. We have to block that out, I realized that in training, it’s been a good week.”

This is how FC Schalke could play against Karlsruher SC

Müller – Brunner, Kaminski, Kalas, Murkin – Seguin – Kabadayi, Ouedraogo, Karaman, Ouwejan – Terodde

Missing: Baumgartl (banished to the U23s), Greiml (training backlog), Schallenberg (fiber tear), Soppy (muscular problems), Tempelmann

In danger of suspension: Kabadayi