Schalke face a tough home game against RB Leipzig. That’s what coach Thomas Reis says ahead of Tuesday’s home game.
The pressure continues to mount on Schalke. After the defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, S04 are already six points behind the relegation place before the last first-round matchday.
But it won’t get any easier for coach Thomas Reis’ team. On Tuesday (18:30), RB Leipzig will come to Gelsenkirchen. Coach Marco Rose’s team has not lost in nine Bundesliga games and most recently managed a 1-1 draw against Bayern.
That doesn’t speak in Schalke’s favour, but at least there is some positive news to report in terms of personnel. Dominick Drexler (after Corona illness) and Marcin Kaminski are ready for a squad spot again. Rodrigo Zalazar (after a broken metatarsal) will have to wait a little longer.
Looking ahead to the 90 minutes against the fifth-placed team in the table, Reis emphasises: “I’m glad that the training ground is filling up again. Alex Král did well in training. I hope that there will be no setbacks and that we can continue to build him up. Drexler and Kaminski were able to train fully again. Leo Greiml has only trained a few times. I’m aware that he can’t play 30 or 40 minutes yet. At the moment he can play ten or 15 minutes. “
That’s why he won’t be in the starting eleven, which Reis didn’t want to reveal yet. The only thing that is clear is that after more than 360 minutes without a goal of their own, the offensive is the biggest construction site. Reis explains: “We have to keep at it, we mustn’t tense up either. We’re working on our finishing, we have to break the knot. We are also consciously taking risks on the pitch. Unfortunately, we are not scoring any goals at the moment. Nevertheless, we’re going into the game with self-confidence – we’ve seen that we can hold our own in the league. One thing is clear: this willingness to run and fight must be the standard.”
And up front, a fresh impetus could help; in any case, the coach confirmed that he is considering bringing on new attacker Michael Frey from the start against Leipzig. Reis: “He has a great mentality, wants to show it here. We now have a good mix in the attacking centre. “