Berlin - Bayern Munich are expected to name a weakened line-up for Saturday's clash at Bayer Leverkusen with the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions pre-occupied by Wednesday's Champions League semi-final at Barcelona.
Pep Guardiola has fresh injury concerns with both his top scorers Robert Lewandowski, who has 23 goals this season, and Arjen Robben, who's scored 19, injured while Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last nine league games.
Lewandowski fractured his cheekbone and suffered concussion in Tuesday's German Cup semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund while Robben's season is over after lasting 16 minutes of his comeback before tearing his left calf.
Guardiola was already missing winger Franck Ribery and left-back David Alaba and will rest most of his stars ahead of his first return to Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium since winning 14 titles in four years as coach of the Spanish giants.
Having started 18-year-old midfielder Gianluca Gaudino in last Saturday's 1-0 home win against Hertha Berlin, and given Germany Under-19 international Sinan Kurt his senior debut off the bench, Guardiola is again poised to give youth a chance.
Leverkusen are battling Borussia Moenchengladbach for third place in the Bundesliga, which carries an automatic Champions League place.
Having reached the German Cup final in mid-week after losing their last five semi-final appearances, second-placed Wolfsburg host relegation-threatened Hanover 96 whose coach Michael Frontzeck signed a five-match contract to keep them up and is hunting their first win in 14 games.
Fixtures
Saturday (All times 1330 GMT unless stated)
Schalke 04 v VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg v Hanover 96, Augsburg v Cologne, Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg v Paderborn 07, Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich (1630)
Sunday
Mainz 05 v Hamburg, Hertha Berlin v Bor. Moenchengladbach (1530)
AFP
