Ilkay Gundogan has been named in the Borussia Dortmund team for Saturday afternoon's Bundesliga meeting with FC Koln.
The German midfielder has not made a competitive appearance for 15 months due to a number of back problems, but Jurgen Klopp has decided that he is fit enough to start after returning to full training recently.
Dortmund have also been handed another boost ahead of the game as Marco Reus, who suffered knee ligament damage while on international duty last month, is drafted in as a late starter due to an injury picked up by Erik Durm in the warm-up.
Reus is joined on the bench by Adrian Ramos and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Ciro Immobile is trusted to lead the line for the visitors.
The hosts, who can climb above Dortmund with a victory, start the game with Yuya Osako and Anthony Ujah on the bench as Peter Stoger freshens up his attack.
FC Koln: Horn, Olkowski, Mavraj, Wimmer, Hector, Lehmann, Vogt, Risse, Svento, Halfar, Zoller
Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Hummels, Sokratis, Piszczek, Grosskreutz, Gundogan, Kehl, Kagawa, Reus, Mkhitaryan, Immobile