Full-strength Bayern tune up for Arsenal
Last Updated: Friday, March 07, 2014, 10:23
Long-term knee-injury victim Holger Badstuber is the only absentee as stars Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller and Xherdan Shaqiri all return from recent knocks.
Ribery, UEFA`s best player in Europe last season, has not played for Bayern in more than a month after an operation on his buttocks, but made an appearance for France on Wednesday.
"I felt good, those few minutes against the Netherlands were good to get some match practice back. I`m ready," said Ribery after France enjoyed a 2-0 win over the Dutch.
Bayern are looking to extend their record unbeaten league run to 49 matches and to claim their 11th consecutive victory.
Fifth-placed Wolfsburg were hammered 6-2 at Hoffenheim last Sunday and Bayern`s director of sport Matthias Sammer expects a backlash at the Volkswagen Arena.
"They suffered a setback in Hoffenheim and they will try and show a reaction, so we must have a few answers to that," said Sammer.
With a 20-point lead, Bayern could even wrap up the Bundesliga title before the end of the month.
Coach Pep Guardiola will want a convincing win before Tuesday`s Champions League last 16, second leg at home to Arsenal with the hosts leading 2-0 from the first-leg in London.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund head to Freiburg on Sunday with a shortage of strikers.
Poland`s Robert Lewandowski sat out Wednesday`s international against Scotland with a knee strain and Under-23 striker Marvin Ducksch is out for a fortnight with an ankle injury.
It leaves Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp with only reserve striker Julian Schieber fit, but Germany winger Marco Reus could be switched to play up front.Bayer Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia is enduring the first crisis of his career after five straight defeats as they look for a first victory in seven years at Hanover 96 on Saturday.
"My coaching career has not been very long and this is the first time that I`m in such a situation," said the 40-year-old ex-Liverpool defender.
"Of course, I have spoken to many people to ask advice on what I could do.
"I want to develop myself and I wouldn`t be learning so fast if we weren`t in this situation."
Hyypia is hoping to have defensive midfielder Sven Bender back after a dead leg.
Schalke 04 are looking to bounce back from successive horror defeats when they host Hoffenheim.
The Royal Blues were drubbed 6-1 by Real Madrid in the Champions League, then crashed 5-1 at Bayern last Sunday in the Bundesliga.
"We have to look forward now and give the right response on the pitch against Hoffenheim," said coach Jens Keller.
Peru winger Jefferson Farfan is doubtful with an inflamed knee while centre-back Kyriakos Papadopoulos is definitely out after being sent off in Munich.
At the other end of the table, VfB Stuttgart coach Thomas Schneider must avoid a ninth straight defeat when his side host bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig.
Schneider came close to being dismissed after Sunday`s 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and another loss would surely mean the 41-year-old being fired, despite having only taken charge in August.
Schneider has the fans` backing as the Mercedes Benz Arena will be sold out for only the second time this season.
Relegation-threatened Hamburg host Frankfurt desperate for three points to escape the bottom three.
Playing Saturday (all times 1430 GMT unless specified)
Schalke 04 v Hoffenheim, Bor. Moenchengladbach v Augsburg, VfB Stuttgart v Eintracht Braunschweig, Hannover 96 v Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich, Hamburg v Eintracht Frankfurt, Nuremberg v Werder Bremen (1730)
Playing Sunday
Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund, Mainz 05 v Hertha Berlin (1630)
AFP ---------------------- ZEENEWS.com
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