Soccer-Lasogga back in training as Hamburg brace for finale

BERLIN, May 19 (Reuters) - Struggling former European champions Hamburg SV can count on striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga for their Bundesliga season finale against Schalke 04 on Saturday after the forward returned to training on Monday following a shoulder injury. Lasogga had hurt his shoulder in their 2-1 loss at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, a result that left the once-mighty club faced with their first ever Bundesliga relegation. "Before going off to (the town of) Malente, Lasogga and (defender Johan) Djourou are back in training," the club said on Twitter. Hamburg, who will hold a mini-training camp until Friday in the German town, will need all the firepower they can muster against Schalke as they have to win if they are to have any chance of staying up. The former league winners, the only club to have played in the Bundesliga every season since its creation in 1963, are on 32 points in 17th place, one ahead of last-placed Paderborn and one behind VfB Stuttgart who are on the relegation playoff spot. Hanover 96 and Freiburg are on 34, while Hertha Berlin are almost safe with 35 points. Even club legend Uwe Seeler sounded pessimistic of their chances of defending their proud league record. "After the game in Stuttgart I don't have much hope left, " the 78-year-old Germany international, a 1966 World Cup runner-up, told reporters. "Relegation would be a disaster and I don't think it will be easy to climb back up. But hope dies last." (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)