Struggling Hamburg host Arminia Bielefeld this week with one eye on the transfer market.

Hamburg have expressed an interest in bringing Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger to the club.

The 22-year-old currently plays in the English Premiership with Aston Villa, where he has earned the nickname the 'Hammer' because of his ferocious left foot.

"It would be foolish not to have a such a talent on your wish list," Hamburg sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said.

Coach Klaus Toppmoller would certainly welcome a talent like Hitzlsperger as clings to his job by his finger tips.

The club he used to coach, Bayer Leverkusen, thrashed Hamburg 3-0 in the last round of domestic fixtures, leaving Toppmoller's team 17th in the league.

He will be without Benjamin Lauth, who has a foot injury, while defenders Raphael Wicky and Bastian Reinhardt remain doubtful with calf and thigh injuries, respectively.

"We need to make something happen," Toppmoller said. "Bielefeld are a pretty dangerous team on the road because of their well organised defence and dangerous counter-attacks."

Bielefeld had won two consecutive contests before the last round of games, but walked off the pitch against Stuttgart well and truly beaten.

Defender Petr Gabriel broke his cheekbone in the defeat, but he is back in training and is expected to play against Hamburg with the aide of a protective mask.

The visitors are primed to welcome back a host of players including striker Isaac Boayke, Claudia Raducanu, Marco Kuntzel and defender Benjamin Lense who have all overcome their injury problems.

"They are back at 70 or 80%," coach Uwe Rapolder said. "It would be great if at least one of them could start at Hamburg."

Marcio Borges is the odd man out with an abdomen injury and will miss the game as his team plan to bounce back from their defeat against Stuttgart and move up from 11th place.