The Frenchman is set to be in the squad for the first time in three months, after overcoming a knee injury that kept him out until the winter break and a toe infection that further delayed his return to action.
He is not expected to play the full 90 minutes.
"Ribery is a world-class player and I believe we will now become even more dangerous," said team-mate and winger Arjen Robben whose explosive pace has helped them move up to third place, two points adrift of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
"Franck can decide a game by himself and always pulls several players on him," defender Philipp Lahm told reporters on Wednesday. "He just lifts the team to a whole new level."
"We must now raise our game even further," said Schalke top striker Kevin Kuranyi, who last week refused to move to Sunderland as his cash-strapped club looks to cut costs.
"We have to come out even more confident now. As for myself, I have taken my decision and it will not change. I only think about Schalke now," he said.
