FC Schalke 04 is facing a home match against Werder Bremen on Saturday. This is what coach Thomas Reis says about the duel and the personnel.

FC Schalke 04 is under pressure in the home match against Werder Bremen. Four matchdays before the end of the season, the situation of the seventeenth in the table remains precarious. A win in the penultimate home game of the season is probably mandatory in view of the remaining program in order to continue to maintain the belief in the class preservation, this assessment is likely to be shared by most experts.

At the press conference before the game, coach Thomas Reis countered that the pressure had already been there throughout the season. According to the coach, the duel with Bremen is not a final, but “another game that is incredibly important. We want to get three points to stay up. That worked a little better for us at home recently.”

After all, Schalke had won the last home game furiously with 5:2 against Hertha BSC, before it had to swallow a clear 0:4 away at SC Freiburg. “It’s important that we invest everything with the fans behind us and show a great mentality,” stresses Reis.

The 49-year-old can probably rely on Maya Yoshida again. The defensive veteran from Japan had completed the week’s training sessions, he said. “We’ll have to wait and see how he packs tomorrow’s session,” Reis indicated, however. “The question is also what risk we take. With some players, we have to do that. “

Definitely returning will be midfielder Tom Krauß, who has served his yellow suspension. Left-back Thomas Ouwejan has been back in training and fit for action since Wednesday following his illness. For right-back Cedric Brunner, “it’s still too early to make an appearance,” Reis said. “We are working with him towards the next game.”

It is clear, however, that the longer injured Ralf Fährmann, Tim Skarke and Soichiro Kozuki are not options. For this, it could come against the SVW to a comeback: Striker Sebastian Polter, who has been training again for a week and a half after his cruciate ligament injury, is a candidate for a squad spot. “He makes a good impression, and very early, considering when he got injured. I’m worried about whether it makes sense yet. “