Overview
- Coach Stefan Leitl said Fabian Reese and Marton Dardai are still dealing with an infection and may not be fully available, with Dardai back in Thursday training and Reese expected to rejoin on Friday.
- Leitl confirmed Luca Schuler will start at center forward, while Dawid Kownacki is likely only fit enough for the bench after illness.
- With Toni Leistner suspended, Pascal Klemens could return if Dardai cannot play, as Hertha look to tighten a defense that slipped late in the Hinrunde.
- Schalke begin the Rückrunde top of the 2. Bundesliga, nine points ahead of Hertha, with around 20,000 away fans expected for Saturday’s sellout in Berlin, and coach Miron Muslic stressing a win-first mindset.
- Elsewhere, Stuttgart loaned defender Leonidas Stergiou to Heidenheim, Mainz have new signing Silas available for Köln, and Bayern’s Konrad Laimer faces several weeks out with a torn muscle fibre.