Schalke vs. RB Leipzig: probable teams, match stats and LIVE blog!

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Schalke showed moments of promise in their first game of 2023, with Yoshida's young Japanese compatriot Soichiro Kozuki impressing in attacking midfield, but familiar failings in front of goal and at the back ultimately left the Royal Blues rooted to the bottom of the table after a 3-0 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt. The result - their 11th defeat from 16 games this season - leaves Thomas Reis' charges six points adrift of safety. Their cause is not helped by injuries to key players, including Rodrigo Zalazar, Thomas Ouwejan, but there will be hope that Dominick Drexler can be back after having to sit out the trip to Frankfurt as Schalke return to the Veltins-Arena, where their two Bundesliga victories this term have come.

Leipzig will be in no mood to show them any mercy, though. Die Roten Bullen have not lost a competitive match since the end of September, a run of 14 consecutive games, and will be buoyed by the manner in which they came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Friday. Marco Rose remains without two first-team regulars in goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and top scorer Christopher Nkunku, but the head coach nevertheless has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal. Timo Werner is pushing for a start after recovering from injury to feature off as a substitute against Bayern, while Marcel Halstenberg - scorer of the equaliser in that game - should have done enough to keep the left-back slot and David Raum on the bench. Gvardiol is set to continue alongside stand-in captain Willi Orban in central defence, having often rotated with Abdou Diallo prior to the winter break.

Match stats

Simon Terodde - Schalke's three-goal joint best scorer in 2022/23 - has had a direct hand in five goals in seven previous meetings with Frankfurt.

Kozuki is the third Japanese national to play for Schalke after Atsuto Uchida and current teammate Yoshida.

Schalke have claimed seven of their league-low nine points on home soil.

Dominik Szoboszlai is second in the Bundesliga assist charts (eight), behind Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani (10).

Andre Silva has scored in all three of his encounters with Schalke to date (four goals in total).

Leipzig have won six of their 10 Bundesliga meetings with Schalke (D2, L2).

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Probable teams

Schalke: Schwolow - Brunner, Yoshida, Matriciani, Uronen - Latza (c), Krauß - Kozuki, Larsson, Bülter - Terodde

Out: Heekeren (cruciate ligament), Polter (knee), Tauer (muscular), van den Berg (ankle)

Doubtful: Drexler (match fitness), Kral (back), Ouwejan (knee), Zalazar (metatarsal)

Coach: Thomas Reis

Leipzig: Blaswich - Simakan, Orban (c), Gvardiol, Halstenberg - Laimer, Schlager - Szoboszlai, Olmo, Forsberg - Silva

Out: Gulacsi (knee), Nkunku (knee)

Doubtful: -

Coach: Marco Rose

About the clubs FC Schalke 04

VELTINS-Arena

RB Leipzig

Red Bull Arena

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