Fresh from their first Bundesliga win of the season, Schalke will be aiming to do the same in this season's UEFA Champions League when they travel to Lokomotiv Moscow on group stage Matchday 2 on Wednesday (kick-off 6:55pm CEST/5:55pm BST/12.55pm ET).
Latest
The Royal Blues were without a point going into Matchday 6's encounter at home to Mainz on Saturday, but a gutsy 1-0 win has taken them off the foot of the standings and given them a welcome boost. That victory, coupled with an encouraging display in their opening group match in the 1-1 draw against Porto, should give Domenico Tedesco's men confidence of a positive result at the RZD Arena. Bastian Oczipka is out with a groin injury, while Benjamin Stambouli remains sidelined with an ankle complaint and USA international Weston McKennie is a doubt with a knock. However, Tedesco has a full compliment of attacking options to choose from.
Lokomotiv Moscow are firmly ensconced in mid-table in this season's Russian Premier League, with three wins, three draws and three losses to their name. The capital club come into this game on the back of a 2-0 win against Akhmat Grosny, but after losing 3-0 to Galatasaray a fortnight ago, they are under some pressure to get their European charge off and running. The hosts are without some key players in captain Igor Denisov, out with a back problem, and Russia international striker Fedor Smolov, who has a shoulder injury. However, a familiar face to Schalke fans should be available in the form of Benedikt Höwedes, who came through the youth ranks at Schalke, captained and made over 300 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2017.
Watch: Nabil Bentaleb reflects on the win over Mainz
Probable line-ups
Lokomotiv: Guilherme (c) - Idowu, Höwedes, Kvirkvelia, Ignatyev - Barinov, Krychowkiak, - An. Miranchuk, Al. Miranchuk, Fernandes - EderAbsentees: Denisov (back), Kolomeytsev (hip), Rybus (groin), Smolov (shoulder) Coach: Yuri Semin
Schalke: Fährmann (c) – Caligiuri, Sane, Nastasic, Mendyl – Serdar, Bentaleb – Schöpf, Harit, Konoplyanka – BurgstallerAbsentees: Oczipka (groin), Skrzybski (muscle), Stambouli (ankle)Coach: Domenico Tedesco
Match stats
These two sides have never before met in European competition.
Schalke reached the semi-finals of this competition in 2011 but exited at the last-16 stage in their last three campaigns, the last of those coming in 2014/15.
2014 World Cup winner Höwedes made 335 appearances for Schalke, including 240 in the Bundesliga, winning the 2011 DFB Cup.
The last time the hosts faced opposition from Germany was in 2002/03 when they lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the second group stage, while Schalke's last visit to Russia, to Krasnodar in the UEFA Europa League in 2016/17, ended in a 1-0 victory.
Lokomotiv are making their first appearance in the Champions League since 2004/05.
Moscow's Vedran Corluka spent six months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in 2011/12, but did not feature against Schalke.