Relegation-threatened Cologne will welcome back captain Florian Kainz for the Bundesliga Rhine derby at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.
"Florian Kainz will start," coach Timo Schultz told reporters on Thursday after the 31-year-old surprisingly sat on the bench for the 2-0 defeat at home to leaders Bayer Leverkusen last weekend.
Kainz is Cologne's second-highest scorer this season with three goals.
Cologne's top scorer Davie Selke, who has five goals, could also return to action after recovering from a foot injury.
"We'll have to wait and see how Davie copes with the strain over the next two days. But he's a candidate for the squad," added Schultz, who is without the suspended Jan Thielmann and Dejan Ljubicic as well as the injured Justin Diehl.
"We'll see a Cologne team that is motivated to our core and wants to get its first away win of the year," announced Schultz.
Cologne are in the relegation play-off spot, eight points from safety and only a point above Mainz in the automatic relegation places.
Rivals Gladbach, in 12th, will still be without forwards Alassane Pléa and Tomas Cvancara for the derby.
"Apart from Pléa and Cvancara, everyone else will be available," coach Gerardo Seoane told reporters.
Pléa, who has suffered foot problems for weeks, is Gladbach's top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with seven goals.
The Foals lost the reverse clash in the first half of the season 3-1.
"We didn't put in a good performance at all that day," said Seoane. "The rest is water under the bridge."