Bundesliga Return: 10 Players to Watch on Reopening Weekend

The Bundesliga is set to become the first major football competition to return to our TV screens this May, with the first weekend off action resuming on May 15.

Up top, the Bayern Munich are just four clear of Borussia Dortmund and five clear of RB Leipzig in another hectic Bundesliga title race. The same applies in the battle for Europe just below, as Borussia Mönchengladbach in fourth are just two head of Bayer Leverkusen in fifth, whilst the clubs from sixth to 10th are separated by just seven points.

Down at the bottom, German giants Werder Bremen have been in the Bundesliga more than any other club, but this season, Bremen are all but doomed for relegation to 2. Bundesliga as they sit eight from safety.

Here, ahead of the return, we take a look at the 10 players to keep an eye on for the reopening weekend, in no particular order.

ICYMI: Don't have a Bundesliga side to follow? We've got you covered. Pick your Bundesliga team this return right here.

Starting off with the man who took the Bundesliga by storm in a matter of minutes just prior to the suspension. Erling Haaland has been the man to watch this season, whether that be in Austria, Germany or on the grand stage of the Champions League.

The Norwegian has managed to bag an unbelievable 40 goals in 33 appearances across the board, surpassing any goalscorer in Europe by an outrageous margin. These are the numbers we rack up on a Be A Pro career mode, or down at the local five-a-side leagues, but Haaland has shown no signs of slowing down wherever he plays.

Since moving to Dortmund, the striker has netted 12 goals in 11 games, which includes nine from eight in the Bundesliga.

Haaland has added something special to an already remarkable attacking lineup of Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho. Now, this ridiculously talented goalscorer is set to take the Bundesliga by storm once more and he is the standout man to watch when action resumes.

Speaking of youngsters, be sure to keep an eye on Kai Havertz, just like Europe's elite clubs have been doing for some time this campaign. Havertz has established himself as one of the best playmakers around this season, registering 10 goals and eight assists in 24 games for Bayer Leverkusen.

The German has been the standout star for Leverkusen as they aim to get back into the Champions League, helping his side to fifth in the table, just one point short of the qualifying fourth spot.

The likes of Liverpool are reportedly seeking the signature of this precious youngster and every time he gets on the ball in Germany, something seems to happen.

If you're struggling for a team to follow, perhaps Leverkusen should be your side, just because of this creative talent. Plus, this might be the last we see of him in his homeland, with so many clubs wanting his services.

Achraf Hakimi is on loan from Real Madrid to Dortmund and the Spanish giants will surely be bitter about letting him depart so easily this season. Similar to his colleagues like Sancho and Reus, Hakimi's goal involvements across the competitions has been absolutely vital for the club.

So far, their number five has claimed 11 assists and bagged seven goals for Dortmund and has surely impressed his parent club enough to keep him on their books for next season.

At just 21, Hakimi is becoming one of Europe's brightest young talents and will no doubt be on the radar of other clubs as well. Currently, the Black and Yellow sit just a point clear of Leipzig and need to close a deficit of four on Bayern if they want title number nine in Germany.

If Dortmund are to do so, this versatile Moroccan will be one of the main men alongside Haaland, Sancho and Reus to get them there.

Thomas Muller will undoubtedly go down in Bundesliga history as one of the greatest talents in the competition's history, despite a slight downfall in recent campaigns.

This year, however, Bayern's fan favourite has reignited the flame of his old self, registering 16 assists in the Bundesliga - only Jadon Sancho comes close to this feat with 15.

Of course, it is always worth keeping an eye on Muller, as he has been exceptional for the German outfit for over a decade. Now though, as Bayern look to stay four clear at the top of the table, their legendary playmaker will be vital in doing so.

Sancho is just one behind him in assists, but Muller has reclaimed the throne as the creative king this campaign and been absolutely crucial to Bayern charging for their 29th title.

Speaking of Sancho, even if you didn't want to keep tabs on him this Bundesliga return, you simply will have to, no matter what. The Englishman has been the brightest young talent in Germany for two years now and is perhaps the best U21 player in world football.

Sancho has created 15 goals so far this campaign, and is Dortmund's top scorer with 14 also. To amplify the sheer brilliance of these statistics, the winger has been involved in more goals than anybody in the Bundesliga, with Lewandowski only coming close with his 28 involvements.

This incredible talent has the world at his feet and isn't just the best 20-year-old around, but perhaps one of the world's very best in gerenal.

If you get the time, stick on a Dortmund game; you simply cannot miss the ability of this phenomenal man.

ICYMI: From Sancho to McInally - have a read of the Brits who have taken the Bundesliga by storm by the years.

Outside of the goalscoring talents from the top three, it's Marcus Thuram who has caught the eye of the Bundesliga fans so far. The Borussia Monchengladbach star had registered eight goals and eight assists prior to the break and was one of the key figures in the club's early title race.

Thuram is the joint top scorer for Gladbach and his 16 goal involvement puts him top of the club's charts in that respect. The Frenchman is just 22 years old and is right up there with the likes of Havertz for European heavyweights who are seeking a new forward.

His German side are just one point clear of Leverkusen and his services will need to be on top form if they are to remain in the Champions League spots, despite a downfall from their title challenge early on.

Stepping away from those within the top four and we have Robin Quaison fighting for survival with Mainz. Quaison has been essential in his club keeping adrift of the relegation spots, as Mainz sit only four clear from safety, whilst their goal difference is slightly healthier as a result of his services.

The 26-year-old has bagged 12 goals in the Bundesliga for the relegation-fighters and will remain Mainz's most valuable player in keeping in the top-flight. So, if you're getting yourself involved in a relegation battle this Bundesliga return, get yourself a Mainz shirt with 'Quaison 7' on the back.

Timo Werner is the only man coming close to the astronomical goalscoring feats of Robert Lewandowski this season.

The German is currently on 25 goals for RB Leipzig this campaign, with 21 of them coming in the Bundesliga. Werner does trail Lewandowski by four goals and, of course, it will be tough to surpass the legendary Bayern striker this return.

However, Leipzig are just five points off the leaders and only a point off Dortmund above them in second. Werner and co. will be heading for another Champions League spot when action continues on May 15 and if anybody is going to get them there, it's their striker.

The 24-year-old is just another man on the radar of the world's elite clubs and his final nine games in the Bundesliga may be an audition for the likes of Liverpool more than anything else.

Similar to Haaland earlier in this list, if there is anybody who didn't need a league suspension, it was Serge Gnabry. Prior to sports hiatus, the German star famously bagged four against Tottenham Hotspur in north London and Gnabry also registered nine assists and 11 goals in the Bundesliga.

Other than Sancho, Werner and Lewandowksi, Gnabry is the very best around in the goal involvement charts this season and he has been utterly crucial to title charge number 29.

The winger's days of struggling to establish himself at Arsenal are long gone and now Gnabry is one of Europe's finest talents. If Bayern are going to stay clear of Dortmund and Leipzig, their German sensation will be key, and at 24, the ball will keep on rolling for this magnificent talent.

Outside of the two German giants, Christopher Nkunku is the first name on the list in the creative charts. The Leipzig man has 12 assists so far in the Bundesliga and has also notched in four goals for his side in their bid for a title.

Whilst Werner will undoubtedly claim the Player of the Season for this constantly improving Bundesliga side, Nkunku's importance cannot be overlooked for a second. Ahead of the return, Dortmund are just one point clear of Leipzig, whilst the latter boasts a better goal difference.

This simply means Frenchman's 16 goal involvements so far have been vital in keeping Leipzig up their with the big guns of German football, and the race for second may well come down to goal difference after all.

The midfielder has been a creative genius at times and at just 22, he is set for a stellar career in European football.