FC Schalke 04’s Bundesliga opener against 1. FC Köln is coming up on Sunday. Things are getting tighter for striker Simon Terodde.

Simon Terodde was absent from FC Schalke 04’s progress in the first DFB Cup round, and the Königsblauen may also have to do without their top scorer for the start of the Bundesliga season at 1. FC Köln on Sunday (17.30).

Terodde is suffering from muscular problems and, according to the club, did not take part in Thursday morning’s training session. Instead, the top scorer of the past second league season (30 goals in 30 games) completed an individual unit. Head coach Frank Kramer had already hinted that Terodde would only be considered as a wild card in Cologne. New signing Sebastian Polter is available – as he was in the cup – as an alternative in the forward line.

Alongside Terodde, new signing Florent Mollet also trained individually on Thursday. The Königsblauen did not provide any information on the reasons for his absence. In the cup, the Frenchman was substituted in the second half.

Captain Danny Latza was back in the team. He had missed the start of the match due to thigh problems, but made progress at the beginning of the week. But even if he is fully fit, it is uncertain whether Latza will lead his team onto the field in Cologne. With the summer additions Alex Kral and Tom Krauß, the veteran has strong competitors for the two places in the defensive midfield.

Schalke’s opponents from the cathedral city also had to lament some absences in training recently. Ex-Schalker Mark Uth, Benno Schmitz, Timo Hübers and goal scorer Anthony Modeste were absent at the beginning of the week. According to the FC, however, only Hübers trained individually on Thursday, the three other professionals have apparently returned to team training.