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UEFA Champions League: Schalke with injury worries for Fenerbahce clash [Thu Nov 3rd, 2005]
Frankfurt (Reuters) - Schalke 04 have injury doubts over three players as they prepare for their UEFA Champions League clash with Fenerbahce, a match they must win to kickstart their European campaign.
Brazilian defender Rafinha is nursing an ankle problem, Georgian midfielder Levan Kobiashvili has a muscle strain and Danish striker Soren Larsen has lower back trouble.
Schalke lost 6-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Cup last week and followed up with a 1-0 defeat at Hamburg SV in the Bundesliga, a result that leaves them 10 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
They are in bottom place in Champions League Group E with two points from three games, and a home defeat would leave them with little chance of qualifying.
Speculation has been mounting in Germany over the future of Ralf Rangnick, but the coach has received the backing of club manager Rudi Assauer.
"There will be absolutely no discussion about a change of coach, even after a defeat," Assauer said.
"I'm an optimist and I believe we can start climbing the table again.
"I'm sure we can win against Fenerbahce, although it would be helpful if we could score a goal now and again." Schalke have not found the net in their last three matches. Hamit Altintop, the side's Turkish international midfielder, said recent poor results were down to a lack of confidence.
"We won games last season because we believed in ourselves," Altintop said. "We need to pull together and put Fenerbahce under pressure right from the start."
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