Hamburg, Germany (My Sportsbook) - Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia admitted his club was in "shock" after learning Mladen Petric was lost until January due to injury, but added it was time to "roll up the sleeves" with the team's top two strikers now sidelined.

Petric ruptured an ankle tendon in Hamburg's last match, a 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Oct. 4, and Labbadia's side was already without Paolo Guerrero.

Petric and Guerrero each had three goals before being sidelined, and Labbadia and Hamburg host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday in a game for first place in the Bundesliga, unsure how to replace the duo.

"We were in a minor state of shock for a day," Labbadia, who left Leverkusen to replace Martin Jol at Hamburg, said on the Bundesliga website. "That's all we allowed ourselves."

With Petric and Guerrero, who suffered a cruciate ligament injury, both out until at least January, summer signing Marcus Berg is one choice to help fill the void.

"Marcus is still a young player," Labbadia said, "albeit one who has already proved his quality. But we can only cover for our long-term absentees through a collective effort.

"I have faith in my team."

Eljero Elia, a Dutch international, will likely join Berg up top.

Labbadia will also lean on Brazilian veteran Ze Roberto, who joined the team from Bayern this offseason and leads the club with four goals. He also has two assists.

The veteran has helped Hamburg win six of its first eight Bundesliga matches, and will be key again against the only other unbeaten in the league Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen's Jupp Heynckes, who coached Bayern over the final five games of last season, doesn't quite have the same concerns as Labbadia, although he is without injured striker Patrick Helmes.

Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling leads the Bundesliga with six goals. Also, Bayern loanee Toni Kroos has come into his own in midfield and done well for a side that has allowed just five goals through eight games and leads the table on goal differential.

"It's obvious that things are going well at the moment but we know all too well from last season how quickly things can change," Kroos told the league's website. "I don't think we're going to slip up this season, but I don't want to go setting any targets just yet."

"We want to win every match," Kroos added. "If we can keep things tight at the back in Hamburg then I'm sure we'll go in search of a winner."

"This is a clash of two creative, attack-orientated teams," Heynckes said on the league's website. "I'm expecting an interesting, high-quality, high-tempo match.

"We'll need to be at our best to win it."

Bayern, which is off to just a 3-2-3 start, will try to pick up ground on one of the leaders this weekend, although Franck Ribery and Ivica Olic - a former Hamburg striker - are all sidelined.

Van Gaal did get good news this week when Dutch winger Arjen Robben returned early from knee injury, and will be available as a substitute.

Munich boss Louis van Gaal also welcomes captain Mark van Bommel and Italian striker Luca Toni back this weekend, which should help fill in for the injured duo.

Toni has not played yet this season for Bayern, but led the league in scoring two years ago with 24 goals, and also led the club league scoring last season despite a few injuries.

Bayern has not scored in its last 274 minutes and its trip to newly-promoted Frieburg may not be as easy as hoped, especially against a side that has nine goals in its last three matches.

"We dominate our opponents and are always the better team, yet we fail to score," Van Bommel said on the league's website. "But we know that we can play good football."

Freiburg sits 10th in the standings, and would pass Bayern with a win. Bayern needs a win to avoid losing ground in the Bundesliga and also to gain a little momentum for Wednesday's trip to Bordeaux in the Champions League.

Werder Bremen, which is unbeaten in seven straight Bundesliga matches and 12 straight overall, hosts Hoffenheim in a clash of top-five sides Saturday.

Also Saturday, Stuttgart hosts Schalke ahead of its Champions League trip to Sevilla on Tuesday, Eintracht hosts Hannover, Nurnberg hosts Hertha Berlin and Koln hosts Mainz in a battle of promoted sides.

On Sunday, defending champions Wolfsburg visits Monchengladbach ahead of its Champions League match against Besiktas on Wednesday, and Borussia Dortmund hosts Bochum.