Intro:

Schalke manager Jens Keller said on Tuesday (16th September) it was a "very difficult situation" to be without captain Benedikt Hoewedes for their UEFA Champions League Group G game against Chelsea on Wednesday (17th September) but remained optimistic of getting a result.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (German) Jens Keller, Schalke manager (Q: How are you going to deal with the loss of your captain Benedikt Hoewedes?)

"Well of course it's difficult if you lose your captain in the central defence for us, it's a very difficult situation. We'll just have to put four players into the back four, we've still got a little bit of time to think about what our solutions are and what options we have open to us."

SOUNDBITE: (German) Jens Keller, Schalke manager (Q: What is it that gives you confidence going into this game)

"Well I'm a very positive person and you've got to remember that anything is possible in football. Also when we played against Bayern Munich people thought that we wouldn't have much of a chance and we showed what we can do there. So anything is possible, that's what I'm saying."

SOUNDBITE: (German) Jens Keller, Schalke manager (Q: Do you rate Chelsea alongside the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as Champions League contenders?)

"I think that Chelsea will definitely have a say in this competition, I mean they are a very, very good team, they showed that last season and again this season they'll be way up there."