Leaders Bayern Munich will be without Willy Sagnol when they host third-placed Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

The France full-back is out with the neck injury which also kept him out of Wednesday's 2-0 win over Wolfsburg in the DFB Pokal semi-final.

Defender Christian Lell is sitting out a suspension, meaning Philipp Lahm will likely play despite poor form for Bayern, who have not lost at home since April 28, 2007. Midfielder Mark van Bommel returns after a two-match suspension.

Hamburg coach Huub Stevens, facing a difficult derby at the in-form "Wolves", can welcome back three of the six regulars who were missing from their last away match at Nuremberg two weeks ago.

Thimothee Atouba, Collin Benjamin and Juan Pablo Sorin will all be back for second-placed Hamburg, who are five points behind Bayern. HSV captain Rafael van der Vaart vowed to wash the cars of all his team mates if Hamburg win the championship this season.

Schalke will be without playmaker Ivan Rakitic for several weeks after the Croatia international suffered an ankle injury in training on Thursday.

Rakitic will miss Sunday's match at Hertha Berlin, who will be missing their injured striker Marko Pantelic, and at least the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona.

Germany midfielder Torsten Frings, who has suffered two long-term injuries this season, could make a new comeback for fourth-placed Werder Bremen at Arminia Bielefeld.

Frings, out for the last eight weeks, was one of the many Werder walking wounded. Midfielders Daniel Jensen and Tim Borowski and striker Ivan Klasnic are nursing injuries. Defender Per Mertesacker is suspended.

Werder will, however, have Diego back in the lineup after completion of the Brazilian's three-match suspension.

Reuters