Werder Bremen's showdown at Schalke on Saturday is dually important for Sebastian Boenisch. Not only does the team want to get three huge points in the fight for third place, but Boenisch will returning to the club where he played for four years. "It was a pleasant time and I always enjoy coming back to Gelsenkirchen. I am looking forward to seeing some old teammates there," said the 23-year-old after training on Wednesday. "But now I play for Werder. And even though I will never forget my time at Schalke, that doesn't count for anything on Saturday."

Boenisch does not have many fond memories of the first encounter with Schalke this season at Weser Stadium. In a collision with Schalke's Carlos Zambrano, he suffered a meniscus injury and missed three months of action. "I don't have any problems any more," said the defender, who took some positives out of his break. "The faith from the club in me really gave me strength during my injury," said Boenisch.

And Boenisch knows the importance of the match on Saturday. "If Schalke win the title there will be a party the likes of which the Bundesliga has never seen," he grinned. "But we also need a victory. It will be a good match, which means a lot. And I assume that we will take the points," said Boenisch optimistically.

Head coach Thomas Schaaf and his coaching staff had available to them nearly the entire roster Wednesday morning. Only Christian Vander was still out. Aaron Hunt completed only running training due to his minor muscle problems. But they should not keep him from playing on Satuday.