How Schalke could have lined up if they hadn’t sold their best players
The seven-times German Championship winners, FC Schalke 04 is one of the most followed football teams in Germany grooming some of the biggest talents in football during the last few years.
However, the Royal Blues haven't won the league title since 1958 which makes it hard for them to keep hold of their best talents. Last season's Bundesliga runners-up have started the new season on a sour note too, losing their first two games.
Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer, Julian Draxler were all fan favourites at Arena AufSchalke (Veltins Arena) before making their names elsewhere. Nevertheless, they still have a decent squad and could have proven to be a serious threat to Bayern Munich's Bundesliga dominance if they had managed to keep all their star players at the club.
Here's the Schalke XI if they had their best players.
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper - Manuel Neuer
Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, Manuel Neuer came through the ranks of FC Schalke's youth academy and is one of the four players from the Knappenschmiede who won the FIFA World Cup 2014.
He joined FC Schalke at the age of five and made his league debut for the club during the 2006-2007 season. Neuer made 156 Bundesliga appearances for the Royal Blues and led the team to its first Champions League semi-final appearance in 2011. He also won the DFB Pokal 2011 with the Miners.
The German international joined Bayern Munich in 2011 on a free transfer and is now an essential part of the Bavarians. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2013 including six Bundesliga winners' medals to add to his impressive trophy cabinet.
The 32-year-old won four IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper awards between 2013 and 2016 and was also voted third for the Ballon d'Or 2014 award.