A real calibre awaits FC Schalke on Saturday (15:30) with Bayer Leverkusen. Nevertheless, Schalke want to continue their great run.

FC Schalke has not lost in eight Bundesliga games. In 2023, Schalke is still undefeated. A crazy record, considering where Schalke stood in the winter.

Now they have justified hopes of staying in the league again. On Saturday, they want to continue their great streak. However, Bayer Leverkusen, a team that has won nine of its last 13 games in the league, is coming to the Arena.

And Schalke will have to rebuild their starting eleven, especially the forced absence of Moritz Jenz (strain) hurts the Königsblauen. S04 coach Thomas Reis emphasises: “I don’t think the injuries will pile up. With Moritz Jenz, you could take a risk if there were only three games left. But there are still several, so we’re not taking any risks at the moment. Even if the loss on Saturday weighs heavily.”

In addition to him, Justin Heekeren (cruciate ligament injury), Kenan Karaman (fibre tear), Soichiro Kozuki (foot surgery), Sebastian Polter (cruciate ligament injury), Tim Skarke (capsule injury in the sole of the foot), Jere Uronen (adductor problems) and Sepp van den Berg (ankle problems) will also be out.

With a view to the absences, the coach explains: “Of course, I also ask myself whether something could be done differently in training. If you go through the injuries, there are also many contact injuries. There were a lot of things that you can’t predict as a coach. “

Leo Greiml and Henning Matriciani are considered to be Jenz’s replacements. Positive: The national players came back healthy, including Alex Kral, who had to cancel the last international match due to stomach problems. Marcin Kaminski, Dominick Drexler, Danny Latza and Thomas Ouwejan are also fit and a topic for the squad.

Important for the width to be able to step up. And that against an opponent who has often won at Schalke recently. Reis: “Leverkusen have stabilised, they have great pace, they go straight into the deep after winning the ball. Bayer is a footballing team that we have to go up against with our resources. It’s not easy, but we want more points for our big goal. “