Bayern face Hertha test, Schalke fret

Bayern and Hertha both have three wins from three but something must crack at the Allianz on Wednesday. Common sense says the visitors will leave with their perfect start to the season ruined, especially as the champions welcome back five key players.

Philipp Lahm, David Alaba and Mats Hummels are all available after illness. Hummels, though, may have to settle for a place on the bench with Jerome Boateng making his first start of the campaign, probably alongside Javi Martinez.

"Boateng is in good shape, he has trained very well in the last few days. He will start," coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.

Hertha's chances look even slimmer given Arjen Robben is also fit again, although Ancelotti says he will begin the encounter on the bench.

But stranger things have happened and Hertha have shown real resilience so far in the Bundesliga having made a similarly strong start last term only to fall away.

Ex-Bayern wideman Mitchell Weiser will be especially keen to hurt his former club having scored the opener in the weekend win over Schalke.

Nouri needs a win

Bremen ditched coach Viktor Skripnik after their third straight defeat, fourth if you include a German Cup first round humiliation at third tier Sportfreunde Lotte. Interim boss Alexander Nouri has the unenviable task of geeing up his troops for the visit of Mainz.

He has to do without banned forward Aron Johannsson after he was suspended for two games for swearing at the referee in the 4-1 weekend defeat by Borussia Mönchengladbach.

They are also still without injured strike pair Max Kruse and Claudio Pizarro and quite how Nouri is going to get them out of a serious hole remains to be seen. Serge Gnabry looks the only bright spark after his cracker against Gladbach, but he cannot carry a whole team.

Shot-shy Schalke

Markus Weinzierl is not under the same pressure as Skripnik was because he has only just arrived in Gelsenkirchen. But three defeats without scoring a single goal is the worst possible start and a tasty home encounter against a local rival in Cologne is probably the last sort of match Weinzierl would want right now.

"We have to improve the flow of our attacks," Weinzierl told reporters. "We are working calmly and know what we have to work on."

Leipzig looking good

On another matchday RB Leipzig against Borussia Mönchengladbach would be a standout game after their thrilling wins at the weekend, but it almost has a feel of being second billing on Wednesday. A big win for the promoted side though could send them top if Bayern and Hertha draw.

That might get the Bundesliga purists - annoyed at Red Bull's involvement with the club - sharpening their pencils but the Leipzig players should not care, they would be there on merit.

Bayer Leverkusen against Augsburg is a meeting of teams with just one win and two defeats so far.

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Bundesliga matchday 4, Wednesday games (kick-offs all 2000 CET)

Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin

Werder Bremen vs. Mainz

Schalke vs. Cologne

RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Augsburg