Schalke are without Kevin-Prince Boateng ahead of their almost mission impossible tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday night due to suspension.
The Ghanaian international has picked up accumulated yellows cards, which rules him out of the clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Royal Blues are under no illusions that a 2-0 defeat at the Veltins Arena in the first leg has left them with more than the proverbial mountain to climb against a side who could equal a record of 12 consecutive home wins in the competition with victory at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The winner reaches the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but there is more to it than just that.
Schalke would need to do something historic to overturn the 2-0 deficit, but a draw or even a win, which still may not be enough to go through, would be crucial to earning the Bundesliga more points in UEFA's five-year rankings.