FC Schalke has to play at Hansa Rostock on Sunday. This is the situation before the game for the S04 team.

After the relieving 4-0 win against VfL Osnabrück, FC Schalke 04 wants to defeat the next cellar-dweller in the Bundesliga 2. On Sunday (1:30 p.m.) the team of coach Karel Geraerts will play at Hansa Rostock.

Rostock have only won one of their last seven games. If Schalke get their second win in a row on the Baltic coast, they would overtake Rostock.

However, the S04 coach will be missing a number of players in the undertaking, as six players are out with injuries: Dominick Drexler, Yusuf Kabadayi, Leo Greiml, Danny Latza, Marius Müller and Assan Ouedraogo.

At the pre-match press conference, the Belgian stressed: “The win against Osnabrück has given the team confidence for the next game. It will be tough again against Rostock, who played well in Karlsruhe last time out. It can get very intense, but we’ll be prepared for the atmosphere.”

It was important to see that the team can play several systems. In Düsseldorf, we even changed systems twice during the game

Karel Geraerts

It is not clear in which formation the coach in Rostock will play. What is clear is that Schalke can play several formations, as Geraerts was pleased to report: “It was important to see that the team can play several systems. In Düsseldorf, we even changed the system twice during the game. The boys are flexible. This also allows us to look at the opponent and decide how we line up.”

Sebastian Polter, who has rarely been considered lately, will probably not be in the starting eleven. The coach had this to say about this particular player: “It’s not true that he hasn’t played. He got a few minutes in Düsseldorf, but not recently because I brought others on for the 4-0. Everyone does their job well, what’s important is that I want to see a team, not individuals. Of course, I can understand that he doesn’t feel so good when he doesn’t always play.”

This is how FC Schalke 04 could line up against Hansa Rostock:

Fährmann – Brunner, Kalas, Kaminski, Murkin – Schallenberg, Seguin – Karaman, Lasme, Mohr – Terodde

Missing: Drexler (torn muscle fiber), Greiml (torn cruciate ligament), Kabadayi (torn muscle fiber), Latza (torn muscle fiber), M. Müller (torn tendon in the adductor area), Ouedraogo (torn syndesmosis)

At risk of suspension: Kaminski, Murkin, Schallenberg