FC Schalke 04 is preparing for the match against FC Augsburg. This is how the staff looked during training on Tuesday.

FC Schalke 04 fans can’t be stopped even by a cold five degrees, squalls and heavy rain: After all, 30 supporters came to the public training session on Tuesday morning – more than most Bundesliga clubs are allowed to welcome in high summer.

The fans did not get to see Marcin Kaminski at the training session. The centre-back, who had just fought his way back into the line-up after a long injury lay-off, suffered a lumbago on Monday and is out for the time being. The same applies to Soichiro Kozuki, who underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday, as Schalke announced on Monday.

On the other hand, the fans were happy to see some faces they hadn’t seen for a while – especially Sebastian Polter, who suffered a torn cruciate ligament at the training camp in Belek in January. Just two and a half months later, he was already running laps in football boots again – as he did on Monday. “He is very, very optimistic,” Gerald Asamoah, head of the licensed players’ department, said on the sidelines of training. “He has good healing meat. We hope his recovery will go faster. It would be great if he could play one or two more games.” The season runs until the end of May, should Schalke reach the relegation, even until the beginning of June.

Dominick Drexler and Tim Skarke also only managed running drills. Both had not yet taken to the pitch on Monday. For both of them, however, it will probably not be enough to play before the international break, which begins after the basement duel against FC Augsburg (Saturday, 3.30 pm/Sky). “With Skarke we have to look from day to day,” said Asamoah.

Thomas Ouwejan completed parts of the team training with the ball – whether he can be in the squad in Augsburg is still open. He will hardly be able to replace Henning Matriciani at the moment anyway.

And in Augsburg it will be warmer again for the travelling fans – the forecast is 18 degrees and pure sunshine.