Schalke: 5 key players in Bundesliga’s Revierderby return

1. Suat Serdar

He’s back, he’s healthy, he’s still our leading goal scorer. It feels like every match sees Serdar get better and better. the way he carries the ball with such confidence, the smart runs he makes into the box, the movement he exhibits off the ball.

It’s all been a tremendous, reliable asset as long as he can stay healthy. He gives us something we can’t find much of elsewhere—he gives us a push from deeper down the pitch. A push that we can’t always find further up the pitch.

Serdar is the key man here. Unlike Harit, who won’t be involved much if Dortmund controls the lion’s share of possession, Serdar will be needed everywhere. Hence, the most important player on the pitch.

The added emphasis here is that Suat Serdar really needs to be locked into a new contract. Amine Harit did it, now Serdar is next. But as always, it can be made a hell of a lot easier if we can show that Schalke is a club ready to compete. Sticking it to Dortmund not long after having it stuck to us twice (arguably three times, if you count FC Koln) would be huge.