week 15 - match preview

Bordon and Ernst return as Schalke bid to hold top spot

Following the win over VfL Bochum the Royal Blues are aiming to defend the top spot again at 1. FC Nürnberg. Head coach Mirko Slomka will make just two changes to the side that have won four matches in a row.

"There's no real need to make any changes", Slomka explained. "The team have played very well in recent weeks and deserve to be given the trust that they can win in Nürnberg, which I believe they will. We are getting better and better playing at pace."

Slomka will be without one key player, however. Zlatan Bajramovic has failed to recover from the calf injury he sustained against Bochum and will definitely miss out. "Being without Zlatan is a big blow. He's extremely strong in the challenge and has the desire to get the ball forward quickly. He's now focusing on the game against Borussia Dortmund", said Slomka on the loss of the Bosnian midfielder.

Bajramovic will be replaced by Fabian Ernst. Slomka is not worried that the 27-year-old may struggle in his first outing after several weeks out through injury. "We need someone to put their foot in against Nürnberg and Fabian is exactly the right man for the job. I'm glad that he's fit again. He's always in the game right away."

The other change will be made in central defence, where captain Marcelo Bordon returns to the side after recovering from a hip flexor strain. Dario Rodriguez will therefore begin on the bench. "It was a difficult decision, but Marcelo is too good a player to leave out", the Schalke boss explained.

Despite an impressive haul of 13 points from the last five games Slomka is exercising caution against a side he described as "very tough opponents". The Franconians have lost just twice this season, to Hertha BSC Berlin and Werder Bremen, and have usually looked very solid. In Ivan Saenko and Robert Vittek, they also have two quick and dangerous strikers.

As Slomka and general manager Andreas Müller are assuming that both Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen will win their last three matches before the winter break, the Royal Blues will have to go all out to secure all three points in Nürnberg. Besides Gerald Asamoah (broken leg), Alexander Baumjohann will also be missing on Sunday. The young midfielder has been battling against flu all week.