A positive result against the Bundesliga holders would be a great way for Schalke to make amends for the opening loss to Hannover.

Meanwhile, the Bavarians enjoyed a hard-fought triumph over Wolfsburg at Alianz Arena, but will now have several important players back for the trip to Gelsenkirchen.

Having achieved three straight top 4 finished in German Bundesliga while also impressing in Europe, Schalke can now be considered a genuine top side.

The club hope to continue the uptrend in fortunes and soon mount a serious title challenge, but it looks as though that won’t be happening this season.

Schalke haven’t made too many new signings, with Sam, Giefer and Choupo-Moting the only notable arrivals, but they didn’t need to having kept the entire squad together.

The season, however, didn’t have the best of starts for the Miners as they were first eliminated from the DFB Pokal by Dynamo Dresden before losing to Hannover in their opening Bundesliga fixture.

As a result, Schalke are determined to make things right against Bayern, even if odds of 7.00 (6/1) offered on home win are enough to suggest the size of the task ahead of them.

Key players Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Kevin-Prince Boateng are injury doubts, but the good news is Dennis Aogo, Ralf Fahrmann and Joel Matip have resumed full training.

The likes of Fabian Giefer, Sead Kolasinac, Leon Goretzka and Jefferson Farfan are definitely out of contention for the Bayern clash.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Fahrmann – Ayhan, Kirchoff, Matip, Howedes – Neustadter, Hoger – Choupo-Moting, Meyer, Draxler – Huntelaar.

Pep Guardiola experienced all sorts of problems at the start of the new campaign with a number of first team regulars out injured and his key men lacking match fitness after taking part at the 2014 World Cup.

That may have cost the club the German Super Cup trophy, but it also proved a blessing in disguise as talented youngsters such as Rode, Hojbjerg and Gaudino were given a taste of first team football.

Bayern allowed no surprises in the DFB Pokal, defeating Preussen Munster 4-1 before they beat Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga curtain-raiser.

Meanwhile, the Bavarians learned they would be playing Manchester City, CSKA Moscow and AS Roma in Champions League Group E, but there will be enough time to assess the opposition in the coming weeks.

Bayern are now getting ready for what should be a very tense encounter at Veltins Arena, where away win pays 1.53 (8/15).

Arjen Robben is a minor doubt with an ankle problem, but Jerome Boateng returns to the side after serving a one-match ban.

Javi Martinez, Rafinha, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara and Mitchell Weiser remain on the injury list.

Probable starting line-up (3-4-2-1): Neuer – Boateng, Dante, Badstuber – Lahm, Gaudino, Alaba, Bernat – Robben, Muller – Lewandowski.