Schalke midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended for their Bundesliga home game against Hertha Berlin on Friday.
The Ghana international is unavailable for the match because of accumulated yellow cards.
The Royal Blues have won seven of their last eight encounters on home soil dating back to early November and will be confident of dispatching of a Berlin side currently in the midst of a five-game winless streak.
Head coach Jens Keller is delighted with the way his team have been able to turn the Veltins Arena into a fortress, establishing a foundation for their assault on the European qualification spots in the second half of the season.
A 0-0 draw during midweek against arch-rivals Dortmund in the Revierderby has ensured that the race for second place is wide open heading down the final stretch.
Only FC Bayern München have collected more points than Schalke since the turn of the year, a run of form made all the more impressive when taking into account their lengthy absentee list, which will include suspended Berlin-native Kevin-Prince Boateng on Friday.
The Ghanaian international has become the side’s most important player after manager Jens Keller hailed his leadership qualities.