Bayern must concentrate on Leverkusen, insists Klose

Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose insists the defending Bundesliga champions must seize their chance to leapfrog Bayer Leverkusen to go second in the table when the two sides meet Saturday.

The Bavaria derby gives third-placed Bayern the chance to overtake their rivals in the table and put themselves in pole position to take on league leaders Hoffenheim in Munich the following weekend.

But Klose insists despite his side facing four tough games in the next fortnight, including their Champions League clash with Lyon, Jurgen Klinsmann's Bayern must focus fully on Leverkusen.

“We have a hard programme ahead of us now with some very, very difficult games,” said Klose, who scored twice in his side's 3-0 Champions League win over Steaua Bucharest last Tuesday.

“But we can't afford to make the mistake of talking about Lyon or deliberating over Hoffenheim, everything has to go into the Leverkusen game.”

Klinsmann will have both Italian World Cup striker Luca Toni (shoulder) and midfielder Franck Ribery (ankle) available after they shook off injuries from the win over Bucharest.

“We have to carry the momentum forward from the Steaua game,” said Klose ahead of the clash at Leverkusen's BayArena.

The only injury worries for Bayern are defender Martin Demichelis and striker Lukas Podolski. Argentina's Demichelis has a calf strain and Podolski has a back injury.

Leverkusen have Germany strikers Stefan Kiessling and Patrick Helmes up front, while defender Gonzalo Castro has the task of containing Bayern's Ribery who is in superb form with six goals in the last six league games.

League leaders Hoffenheim host strugglers Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday with Bosnia striker Vedad Ibisevic in classy form with 16 goals in 14 league games including three in the last two.

Fourth-placed Hertha Berlin host Cologne in the German capital's Olympic Stadium on Friday with the Lucien Favre-coached side on a roll with wins in their last three league games.

There is a bottom of the table clash on Saturday when Borussia Moenchengladbach, fourth from bottom, are home to Energie Cottbus who anchor the league table.

Friday

Hertha Berlin v Cologne

Saturday

Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich

Hanover 96 v Karlsruhe

Borussia M'gladbach v Energie Cottbus

Hoffenheim v Arminia Bielefeld

Sunday

VfB Stuttgart v Schalke 04

VfL Bochum v Hamburg

Borussia Dortmund v VfL Wolfsburg