Schalke 04 vs Bayern Munich - Robben and Neuer to miss Bayern Munich's trip to Schalke
Posted Monday, September 18, 2017 by PA
Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti will be forced into changes for Tuesday's game at Schalke due to the loss of influential duo Manuel Neuer and Arjen Robben.
Goalkeeper Neuer could face a lengthy spell out after sustaining a foot injury, while winger Robben, who scored in the 4-0 weekend win over Mainz, is suffering with illness.
They join David Alaba and Juan Bernat (both ankle) on the sidelines, and Italian coach Ancelotti may shake things up further at the Veltins-Arena to keep his players fresh following a strong start to the Bundesliga season.
"We played very well against Mainz and the three points give us even more confidence," he told reporters at his pre-match press conference.
"We want to follow up that performance against Schalke.
"I believe rotation is important at the moment to keep the players motivated and in good form."
Third-placed Bayern have taken nine points from their opening four matches, with a 2-0 defeat at Hoffenheim the only blemish on their record.
Opponents Schalke have started the campaign in similar style.
They sit one place behind the Bavarians on goal difference, leading Ancelotti to praise his opposite number Domenico Tedesco.
"Schalke have nine points," he said. "Tedesco is doing a very good job.
"They've started the season well and they're well organised in defence and attack."
The midweek trip to Gelsenkirchen comes eight days before a mouth-watering Champions League clash against Paris St Germain, with Bayern also set to host Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Friday.
Despite the important upcoming fixtures, Ancelotti insists his attention is fully on the Schalke match.
"We're focused on this game, it's an important one," he added.
Schalke head coach Tedesco has enjoyed an impressive start to life in Germany's top flight after taking over during the summer.
The former manger of second division club Erzgebirge Aue now faces the toughest test of his short tenure and knows his players must be on top form to secure a positive result.
"If you are bold, keep possession and look to exploit the space, only then do you actually have a chance against Bayern but you definitely need to have a good day at the office," the 32-year-old told his club's official website.
"You are certainly going to run into danger against Bayern if you sit back and are passive. We need to avoid that.
"In situations like that, we hope our fans will shout and cheer so that we feel a certain pressure on the pitch."
Austrian midfielder Alessandro Schopf will be Schalke's only absentee for the match as he continues to recover from a back problem.
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