Werder Bremen vs. Schalke: probable teams, match stats and LIVE blog!

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With less than a week to go until Germany head coach Hansi Flick names his provisional 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, it's the uncapped Füllkrug who co-heads the Bundesliga scoring charts. The no-nonsense striker powered in his ninth goal of the campaign as Bremen secured a last-gasp win over Hertha Berlin on Matchday 12. Only RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku, the 2021/22 Bundesliga Player of the Season, has scored as often after 12 matches. Füllkrug's goals have Werder on the fringes of the top six, with 18 points from a possible 36. A three-game losing run in all competitions behind him, head coach Ole Werner received a further piece of good news earlier this week after captain Marco Friedl's suspension for a red card offence in the 2-0 defeat to Freiburg was reduced to one match. The former Bayern Munich defender will likely replace Niklas Stark this weekend.

Schalke won Bundesliga 2 ahead of Bremen last season, but have struggled to adapt to life back in the top tier. The Royal Blues are bottom of the current standings, five points adrift of outright safety, and 12 worse off than the Green-Whites. Thomas Reis replaced Frank Kramer as head coach a week ago, but was unable to stop the rot on his debut as Die Knappen went down 2-0 to Freiburg - their eighth defeat of the league campaign and sixth in a row. To make matters worse, Thomas Ouwejan picked up an injury and joins defenders Leo Grieml, Marcin Kaminski and Sepp van den Berg in the treatment room. Kerim Calhanoglu is expected to deputise on the left-hand side of a patchwork defence that's shipped 28 goals in 2022/23. Japan international centre-back Maya Yoshida is the only defensive player to have started every game this term. The captain of Japan's national team may also see the game as an intel-gathering mission up against Füllkrug ahead of their opening World Cup fixture against Germany on 23 November.

Match stats

Claudio Pizarro was the last Bremen player to score nine (like Füllkrug) or more Bundesliga goals after 12 matches (2011/12). Miroslav Klose was the last man in green and white to end the season as Bundesliga top scorer (25 goals, 2005/06).

Werder have scored 10 of their 21 goals this season on or after the 82nd minute of matches.

Bremen have 18 points after 12 matches. Only once before has a team with the same total at this juncture been relegated - Eintracht Frankfurt (2010/11).

Werder and Schalke have posted more wins against each other than any team they've faced in the Bundesliga - 45 and 38 respectively.

Reis oversaw a 2-0 defeat to Bremen as Bochum coach earlier this season, with Füllkrug scoring both goals. He's lost his last eight Bundesliga games.

Schalke are winless in 34 away Bundesliga matches. The ignominious Bundesliga record is 35, held by Karlsruhe.

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Probable teams

Bremen: Pavlenka - Pieper, Veljkovic, Friedl (c) - Weiser, Schmid, Gruev, Bittencourt, Jung - Füllkrug, Ducksch

Out: Agu (patella tendon), Buchanan (ill), Dinkci (ill), dos Santos (ill), Mbom (Achilles), Salifou (groin)

Doubtful: Rapp (thigh)

Coach: Ole Werner

Schalke: Schwolow - Brunner, Matriciani, Yoshida, Calhanoglu - Kral, Krauß - Karaman, Mollet, Bülter - Terodde (c)

Out: Cisse (muscular), Greiml (meniscus), Kaminski (calf), Ouwejan (knee), van den Berg (ankle), Zalazar (metatarsal)

Doubtful: -

Coach: Thomas Reis

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