Kobiashvili hoping for a Schalke shake-up

Georgia captain Levan Kobiashvili told uefa.com he and his FC Schalke 04 team-mates were "very disappointed" with their autumn Bundesliga campaign, but is eager to shake of an achilles problem as his side battle for a top-three finish.

Best yet
Left-sided midfielder Kobiashvili has been in Gelsenkirchen since joining from SC Freiburg in 2003, and has scored eight goals in 148 Bundesliga appearances for the club. Schalke's biggest achievements during that time came as they finished runners-up in the league in 2004/05 and 2006/07, but they look unlikely to improve on that showing this time around.

Grim autumn
Seventh in the table at the winter break and out the UEFA Cup, it was a tough few months for Fred Rutten's side. Kobiashvili said: "We all are very disappointed. We are eight points behind the top two, Hoffenheim and Bayern. The management has set us the target of reaching the cup final and also securing a Champions League place next season, so we have to finish in the top three."

Injury concern
The 31-year-old Kobiashvili is doing his best to regain his fitness for when the league resumes next weekend, but is suffering from a sore achilles tendon. "The doctors have said that I'd be able to play next week," he explained. "I hope they are right as it is very important not to miss the preparation period. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to get a place in the first XI."

Georgian prodigy
Another player struggling to get a look-in at Schalke at the moment is Kobiashvili's young compatriot Levan Kenia. Now 18, the midfielder joined Schalke from FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi in 2008, but has yet to make a Bundesliga appearance for his new club. Kobiashvili said: "He is just 18 but is a member of the senior squad. Everybody is behind him and he can go a long way."

Dublin calling
Kobiashvili and Kenia are likely to play together for Georgia in February, as they travel to meet the Republic of Ireland in a FIFA World Cup qualifier still looking for a first win in Group 8. "We are playing in Dublin at a very inconvenient moment," said Kobiashvili gloomily. "Most of my team-mates play in Russia, Ukrainia or Georgia where the leagues have not started yet so they will not be in the best shape. However, we played well in our last two games and need to remain consistent in order to get better results than draws."