Raul could return to Schalke to replace the injured Afellay

Not only the fans but even the Schalke players would see with good eyes that Raúl, who left the German club last summer to join Qatari Al-Sadd, will now return to Gelsenkirchen as a temporary replacement for the injured Ibrahim Afellay.

'there’ will be in the dry dock for months after relapsing from a muscle injury that had already left him KO between last November and December. Schalke is looking for a player to replace him until his perfect recovery and although it had been said that after this new physical problem he could bill him back to Barcelona, according to the latest information they will wait to see how the injury evolves before making a decision.

It should be remembered that Ibi is on loan from FC Barcelona until next June and that in the first instance Schalke had signaled its intention to keep it in property; apart, the international ‘oranje’ has declared to be comfortable in Germany and that “I wouldn't mind staying here”.
In any case this new KO of Afellay, produced in the winter stage of his current team in Qatar, it's devastating news: without him in the field, so far this season he has not won a single game.

That's why repatriate Raúl, who knows the house from the two seasons lived in Gelsenkirchen (2010-11 Y 2011-12), seems like a good solution, although at the moment it is only the great dream.

Schalke met Al-Sadd during that stage in the Persian Gulf and it is not ruled out that there was some contact, although informal.
The one that yes “is ruled out” as a possible temporary replacement for Afellay is Wesley Sneijder (Inter). This has been confirmed by the sports director of Schalke, Horst Heldt.