Oliver Kahn faces his ex-club after getting a rest

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld rested the 38-year-old veteran for a UEFA Cup game scheduled for late Thursday at Belgian side Anderlecht.

 "Oliver can not play two games within three days, that is not good from a mental point of view," said Hitzfeld.

 Kahn was quoted by the Bild daily as agreeing: "I played five or six games in the last fortnight. A break is quite good now. I am no longer 18, I have to look after myself."

   Kahn was 18 years old when he played his first Bundesliga match at Karlsruhe in November 1987.

 He then moved on to Munich in 1994 where he enjoyed vast success highlighted by the European Champions League crown in 2001. Now he is in his retirement season which he hopes to complete with a title treble in the league, German cup and UEFA Cup.

 Munich enter the Karlsruhe match with 47 points for a four-point lead over Werder Bremen (43). They are followed by SV Hamburg (41), Bayer Leverkusen (38) and Karlsruhe (36).

 Promoted Karlsruhe have been the revelation of the season and are not afraid of the trip to Munich even though they lost the first season meeting at home with a 4-1 scoreline.

 After all, Munich are yet to win at home in 2008 after being held to draws by Bremen and Hamburg. They have also beaten Karlsruhe just twice in the last six games in Munich.

 "Bayern are the favourites but we are not high up in the rankings by coincidence," insisted KSC midfielder Alexander Iashvili.

 Munich are without banned Mark van Bommel while Karlsruhe have influential Tamas Hajnal back from a suspension.

 Bremen also have to play two matches within less than 48 hours, at struggling champions VfB Stuttgart on Saturday after a UEFA Cup outing to Glasgow Rangers.

 Hamburg and Leverkusen are slightly better off, as they have an extra day of rest after their UEFA Cup meeting Thursday. Hamburg are at drop zone club Nuremberg while Leverkusen host mid-table Hanover in the round's Sunday action.

 Plenty of attention will also focus on Schalke 04 as it remains open beleaguered coach Mirko Slomka really has a breather after the team beat Porto on penalties for a place in the Champions League quarters - thanks mainly to their goalkeeper Manuel Neuner.

 The game was overshadowed by Kevin Kuranyi refusing to shake Slomka's hand after being substituted, an incident that could lead to sanctions for the Germany international und undermine Slomka's standing even more.

 Victory at lowly Arminia Bielefeld is a must on Saturday, that even more as Schalke have lost their last three Bundesliga matches.

 The other games are Borussia Dortmund vs. Hertha Berlin (Friday), Eintracht Frankfurt vs. VfL Bochum, VfL Wolfsburg vs. Energie Cottbus and MSV Duisburg vs. Hansa Rostock (all Saturday).

By John Bagratuni, dpa