With the top two both in action less than 48 hours after their UEFA Cup exploits, it will be a testing week in the Bundesliga.

* Bayern Munich were in awesome form in attack in beating Anderlecht 5-0 in the UEFA Cup on Thursday but the leaders have reason to be cautious as they approach Saturday's home game against fifth-placed Karlsruhe.

Not only will Bayern have less than 48 hours to prepare for the match, but coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will have to do without his regular defensive midfield duo in the suspended Mark van Bommel and the injured Ze Roberto.

Hitzfeld can at least recall Brazilian centre-back Lucio and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, both rested for the trip to Belgium.

* Second-placed Werder Bremen face another uncomfortable away day when they travel to face champions VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Werder, beaten 2-0 by Rangers on Thursday, have not won away from home in the league since November 24th and will once again be without suspended Brazilian playmaker Diego for the trip south.

Stuttgart will be without Germany midfielder Sami Khedira because of a thigh injury.

* Schalke 04, who completed a great victory over Porto on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, should be confident of getting their league form back on track at Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

Schalke have lost their last three Bundesliga games but they have a great record against Bielefeld, with seven wins from their last seven meetings.

Coach Mirko Slomka does have a few personnel problems to deal with. Rafinha and Fabian Ernst are suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, while Ze Roberto and Zlatan Bajramovic are both injured.

* Nuremberg will be without Jan Koller when they host Hamburg SV on Sunday. The Czech Republic striker was handed a one-match ban for spitting in last weekend's defeat by Hanover.

Third-placed Hamburg will arrive needing a boost after a poor performance in Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in an all-German UEFA Cup tie.

* Bayer Leverkusen are also in action on Sunday at home to Hanover. They will be without the suspended Sergej Barbarez as they bid to improve on fourth place.

Reuters