Cologne have boosted their bid for Bundesliga survival with the signing of striker Mark Uth on loan from Schalke for the rest of the current season.

Uth, 28, has been given the No.23 shirt and will travel with the Billy Goats to their week-long winter training camp in Benidorm, Spain, on Saturday.

“I’m really pleased that the move worked out," Uth told Cologne's official website. "For me it was important that I gained match practice in the second half of the season. On top of that, I can help the club stay in the league. That's our main goal.”

Head coach Markus Gisdol was equally pleased to have signed a proven goalscorer given that his side are currently 15th in the standings, just two points above the relegation zone and with the second-lowest goal tally (19) in the division.

“Mark's a technically strong player who is strong in front of goal," said the 50-year-old. "With his goalscoring qualities, he'll help our game."

Uth was born and raised in Cologne and came through the club's youth academy, making 41 appearances for the reserves - albeit not for first team - before joining Dutch top-flight side Heerenveen in 2012.

Watch: Uth's top 5 Bundesliga goals

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His goalscoring exploits there convinced Hoffenheim to bring him back to the Bundesliga in 2015 and it was under Julian Nagelsmann's watch that his career took off, scoring 33 goals in 86 games.

That record convinced Schalke to swoop for the left-footed forward in January 2018, but although he earned his first - and to date only - Germany cap in October that year, injuries limited him to just 37 games (four goals) for the Royal Blues.

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