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Schalke are expected to lose goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann for an extended period of time after injuring his knee in their 2-1 loss to Kaiserslautern.
Fahrmann hurt himself when he fouled forward Dorge Kouemaha inside his own area after 28 minutes of play - picking up a red card as well to add insult to injury.
Schalke revealed on their official website that 23-year-old Fahrmann had suffered ligament damage to his left knee and will be out of action for several weeks.
He will undergo further examination in the upcoming days to determine the exact extent of the injury.
The shot-stopper joined Schalke from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer transfer window and has since become the club's first-choice keeper between the sticks.
Podolski shot ´unmatched´, says Solbakken 18 October 2011
Cologne coach Stale Solbakken has compared striker Lukas Podolski to Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Podolski has been a revelation for the German side this season, scoring six goals in nine matches so far in the Bundesliga.
And the 26-year-old's form has led Solbakken to suggest he possesses a sho which rivals that of star playmaker Messi.
"Messi has perhaps more finesse in his left foot, but Poldi's shot power is unmatched in the world," Solbakken told Bild.
Podolski netted twice last weekend to help his side to a 2-0 Bundesliga win at home to Hannover, and Solbakken said the club were lucky to have the German international at their disposal.
"His greatest weapons are his left foot and his speed. Poldi must have freedom. This is normal - all great artists are like that. Lukas is our best player.
He can decide every game. But it is equally important that all 11 players work hard," Solbakken said. "It is fortunate that he plays here, because he could join in the attack at any top club in Europe."
(Sporting director) Volker Finke and (chief executive) Claus Horstmann want to go into contract talks with him this winter."
Podolski's current contract with Cologne runs until the summer of 2013.
"Bundesliga still Dortmund's priority"
Borussia Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke wants his club to focus on securing a top-four finish in the Bundesliga this season.
Beckenbauer wants Bayern caution
Bayern Munich's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer has told his club not to get too carried away with their league form, warning them a lot can still change.
Fink aiming high with Hamburg
Thorsten Fink believes Hamburg have the potential to become one of Germany's strongest clubs again.
Hildebrand set for Schalke move
Timo Hildebrand's return to the Bundesliga is just dependent on him successfully passing a medical before joining Schalke on a contract until the end of the season.
Frugality the key for Bayern
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness believes current coach Jupp Heynckes is proving that money is not everything in football.
Bayern deny interest in Reus
Bayern Munich have denied they are planning a bid for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marco Reus.
German goalscoring legend Gerd Muller is confident that current Bayern Munich star Mario Gomez can beat his record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season.
"He is capable of beating my record, there is no doubt about that. And I would be happy for it to be beaten by a Bayern player," Muller told German daily newspaper Bild.
Gomez, 26, was top of the scoring charts last season with 28 goals but this season has already netted 10 times in only nine games.
Muller, nicknamed 'Der Bomber', was top scorer seven times and beat the 30 barrier five times for a total of 365 goals in 427 matches. He set his record in 1972.
Since then only Dieter Muller had managed more than 30 - he netted 34 times for Cologne in the 1976-77 season.
Gerd Muller also holds the German national team mark with 68 goals but Miroslav Klose is catching up as he hit his 62nd goal in the recent Euro 2012 qualifier against Austria.
Gomez has only 21 for Die Mannschaft to date but has time on his hands at 26 whereas Klose, now with Lazio but formerly at Bayern, is a veteran at 33.
New Hamburg boss Thorsten Fink will oversee his first game in charge of his struggling Hamburg at home to Wolfsburg on Saturday. The former Bayern Munich midfielder left his post at Swiss Super League champions FC Basel to begin the task of steering Hamburg out of the relegation zone.
Fink replaces Michael Oenning, who was sacked in September after a string of poor results. Despite the club managing to win two of its last three league games, Fink is well aware of the job ahead of him.
"I don't feel any extra pressure to steer Hamburg away from the drop zone. There's always pressure to perform. It's a challenge for me to live up to the expectations," Fink said. "Our first goal is to leave the relegation places. We have to move away from the drop zone as soon as possible. Avoiding the drop is not our long-term ambition though." "We owe it to the city and to the fans to do better. The club has so much potential and it should be our aim to win every game."
Wolfsburg - Bundesliga champions in 2009 - have not had the best start to the season themselves and lie 12th on the table, making for an entertaining match up on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen host Schalke on Sunday, with a win for either side potentially propelling them into the top four.
Schalke returned from their Europa League trip to Cyprus with a 5-0 win over AEK Larnaca, though it remains to be seen if the exercise will test the club's depth for Leverkusen.
Leaders Bayern - fresh from their 1-1 Champions League draw in Sao Paolo with Napoli on Wednesday - look to continue their 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they travel to Hannover. Hannover won 3-1 the last time these sides met, but Bayern will want to make amends for their failure to win in Italy and have far greater quality up forward in 10-goal striker Mario Gomez.
Champions Borussia Dortmund entertain Cologne looking for their fourth-straight win, but will need to curtail the influence of former Bayern striker Lukas Podolski, who has scored six goals in eight league games.
On Friday, Bundesliga newcomers Augsburg play host to Werder Bremen.
In the remaining matches on Saturday, Stuttgart travel to Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern welcome Freiburg, Hoffenheim host second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach and Hertha Berlin is at home to Mainz.
Augsburg gained a valuable point with a 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Following a goalless first 45 minutes at the SGL Arena, it was the promoted side who took the lead, with midfielder Axel Bellinghausen on target four minutes after the restart.
The heavyweight visitors were not to be denied, and veteran Peru striker Claudio Pizarro found the back of the net to make it 1-1 on 68 minutes.
The draw leaves Werder Bremen third, level on points with second-placed Borussia Monchengladbach and five points back from leaders Bayern Munich.
Augsburg meanwhile are 16th, and remain inside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Stuttgart forward Pavel Pogrebnyak will be out for at least four weeks after tearing ligaments in his right ankle during training.
The Russian, who scored in last week's win over Hoffenheim, twisted his ankle after an aerial duel with team-mate Georg Niedermeieron Thursday.
Medical checks on Friday revealed the extent of his injury.
"I was doing extremely well and had fought my way back into the starting eleven," said Pogrebnyak, 27, in a statement.
"That is extremely bitter, but I will continue fighting."
His recent form helped Stuttgart, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, to fourth place after nine games, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has ruled out a move for Marco Reus and has also spoke in favour of video technology in football.
Reports have suggested that the Bundesliga heavyweights are interested in bringing the promising Borussia Moenchengladbach starlet to Munich, but Heynckes says there is unlikely to be room in his squad for the youngster.
"This is all speculation. He could do (well) in Dortmund and Bremen, (but) in Bavaria he would find great competition (for places)," he told DAPD.
The ex-Bayer Leverkusen coach also feels that the use of monitors to replay important incidents could improve accuracy within the game.
"We have three referees, plus a fourth man. I said 20 years ago: They should have a monitor and just say in such decisions: no goal, penalty or sending off. It takes two to 10 seconds," he said.
FIFA is experimenting with the use of technology, but there are no major changes in the format of the game expected in the near future.
Bundesliga wrap: Dortmund close in on Bayern 23 October 2011
Borussia Dortmund cut Bayern Munich's lead atop the Bundesliga to three points on Saturday with a crushing 5-0 home win over Cologne.
But Bayern can move six points clear at the top on Sunday, when they journey to Hannover.
Juergen Klopp's side were never threatened against Cologne at Signal-Iduna-Park, and they took the lead after just seven minutes through Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa.
Marcel Schmelzer made it 2-0 after 25 minutes, and a goal from Polish striker Robert Lewandowski just before half-time killed the match as a contest.
Lewandowski scored a second five minutes after the break, and a header from midfielder Sebastian Kehl completed a comfortable win for the reigning champions.
Stuttgart missed the chance to move level with Dortmund in second place when they drew 2-2 at Nuremberg.
A Timmy Simons goal gave the home side the lead at EasyCredit-Stadion, but Stuttgart came storming back on the hour mark through a penalty from Zdravko Kuzmanovic.
A header from Philipp Wollscheid put Nuremberg ahead for a second time after 70 minutes, but Francisco Rodriguez secured a point for Stuttgart with a header of his own six minutes from full time.
Kaiserslautern moved three points clear of the relegation zone when an Etey Shechter goal handed them a 1-0 win at home over Freiburg, while Hoffenheim climbed to sixth with a 1-0 triumph against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Hertha Berlin and Mainz played out a goalless draw at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
Finally, bottom side Hamburg gained a point with a 1-1 draw at home to Wolfsburg.
The visitors led through Mario Mandzukic's goal in just the second minute of the match, with Mladen Petric equalising for Hamburg shortly before the hour mark.
Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer says winger Arjen Robben will only be offered a new deal if he is fit.
The Dutch international is an important player for Jupp Heynckes' side, but has had an injury-prone year in 2011, and is currently recovering from a hernia operation.
With Robben's current contract at the Allianz Arena due to run out in June 2013, Beckenbauer has admitted that the club may go into contract extension talks cautiously because of the former Chelsea player's fitness problems.
"It depends. We do not know how long his injury sensitivity persists. In his first season at Bayern, he was sensational and rarely injured. We (will) have to see how he comes back," the 66-year-old told TZ.
The former Germany sweeper did admit that Robben was an integral part of the Bavarians' first-team, and scintillating when fit.
"When Arjen is fit, he is the best in his position in the world. So, if he still is somewhat good, I would immediately (offer) an extension to him," Beckenbauer said.
"It's great that the team are doing well without him. The discussion about whether Bayern (are) better without Robben is absurd. Of course the team (is) better with him."
Bundesliga wrap: Hannover stun Bayern 24 October 2011
Bayern Munich blew a golden chance to move six points clear on top of the Bundelsiga when they slumped to a 2-1 loss at Hannover on Sunday.
Hannover took the lead after 23 minutes when Norwegian striker Mohammed Abdellaoue slotted home a penalty after Philipp Lahm fouled Steve Cherundolo inside the box.
Things got worse for the visitors when Jerome Boateng was sent off five minutes later after an altercation with Christian Schulz.
Hannover made their numerical advantage count five minutes after the break when Christian Pander scored their second.
The hosts also found themselves down to 10 men when Cherundolo was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and an 83rd-minute goal from Bayern substitute David Alaba set up a frantic finish to the match.
But Bayern could not force an equaliser as Jupp Heynckes' men slumped to their second defeat of the season.
Elsewhere on Sunday, a late Jefferson Farfan strike lifted Schalke to third in the standings with a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The result leaves Schalke just four points behind Bayern and one behind reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund.
Boateng hit by two-match ban
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has been handed a two-game ban for his red card in Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Hannover in the Bundesliga.
Hildebrand set for Schalke run-out
Former Germany goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand will make his Schalke debut this week - although not in the first team's DFB-Pokal match against Karlsruhe.
The German Football Association have revealed some of Germany's referees are at the centre of a tax evasion investigation.
The headquarters of the German FA (DFB) in Frankfurt received a visit from tax inspectors today with the request for information to help then in an investigation into alleged tax evasion.
The DFB cooperated with the inspectors and provided them with all of the requested details.
"There are no accusations at all against the DFB," stressed the organisation's general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach in a press release.
"Of course we will undertake everything within our means to assist the tax inspectors with their investigation.
"The correct taxation of income is the sole responsibility of every individual referee."
Franz Beckenbauer wants the current offside rule to be changed in order to make it less complicated.
The German legend, head of the FIFA Task Force Football 2014, feels that there needs to be clarification as to when a player is actively or passively offside, as he believes the current situation causes confusion.
"The group discussed the interpretation of Law 11 regarding active and passive offside. The chairman asked the task force members to come up with suggestions for a clear, understandable rule by the time of the group's next meeting," a statement read.
Beckenbauer added: "In my time, it was very simple, offside was offside, it didn't matter where the ball was. It's a nonsense now, it's too complicated."
"We have a situation with active and passive offside at the moment. I think we should stay away from complicated expressions, we should go back to making it more simple, not like it was at the beginning but somewhere in between."
Beckenbauer is not the first high-profile name to question the offside rule, as former Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal previously stated that the current situation needlessly complicates matters.
On the matter of fair play, Beckenbauer said: "There were a number of points on the agenda, including the subject of fair play, and we discussed what needs to be done better in the future."
"What we saw last year was terrible, including in the most important match of the past four years, namely the 2010 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands in South Africa."
"The way the two teams behaved in the first half was awful. It was meant to be a good advertisement for the game of football but it was totally the opposite.
The final of the Copa Libertadores in South America was similar and things like that do not belong on a football pitch, they need to be sanctioned.''
Heynckes tentative over Robben return
Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes has revealed that he is still unsure when winger Arjen Robben will be able to return from injury.
Stevens: Fahrmann on the mend
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann has undergone surgery on his left knee after suffering cruciate damage to the medial and anterior cruciate ligaments.
Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno finds himself in a tug of war with his parent club Stuttgart who insist he will not be sold once his loan deal expires.
The 19-year-old has been impressive since his temporary move in August and has made it clear that he wants to stay permanently.
"My feelings clearly are with Bayer 04, because the club has really helped me," Leno told Bild.
"I feel comfortable here and have confidence playing in Leverkusen."
Reports in Germany claimed Leverkusen were willing to pay up to five million euros to buy Leno.
But Stuttgart president Gerd Mauser has other ideas and warned only a mega offer could change his mind over a sale.
"Leno is a crown jewel. He embodies the concept of a young and hungry player. We will not sell him," Mauser told Die Welt.
"To even think about it, a spectacular offer would have to come."
Leverkusen take on Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Friday.
