Lukas, we’re 12 games into the season now. You’ve been in the squad for 11 of those matches, starting nine. You’ve never played more often at this stage since joining Freiburg six years ago. How are things for you?

I’m doing well. Things are obviously better when you’re playing a lot. I’m really satisfied with the season so far. There are several different reasons for the amount of minutes I’ve had at the moment. One of them is that I’m fit and Johnny (Jonathan Schmid) isn’t 100% yet.

You’ve suffered from a number of injuries in the past. Does that mean you know better than anyone how important health is?

I think anybody who has been injured once knows to appreciate a fit and healthy body. I’m really thankful for that at the moment.

Aside from training, what else do you do to reduce the risk of injury?

I’ve got to know my body well really well after all those injuries. Thanks to research and trying things out, I know what is good for me and what isn’t. As a result, I’m forced to do quite a lot alongside training in order to be fit every week. Regeneration is really important for me. When we have days off, I don’t do anything too taxing, so that my body can recover well.

It’s not just been a good season for you personally – SCF have also got off to a good start this campaign. Unfortunately, there have been back-to-back losses in the last two games, away at Bayern München and at home to Frankfurt. How has that affected you and the team?

If it didn’t affect us at all, we’d be doing something wrong. It’s never nice to lose – we didn’t want to lose against Bayern, nor against Frankfurt, nor any other opponent. We’re annoyed, and people should notice that on Saturday.

How would you sum up the game against Frankfurt?

I’d saw we created chances for ourselves, but that last little piece of the puzzle was missing. That’s just how football goes sometime. Frankfurt didn’t have a lot in the first half, but scored two goals from a chance and a half. You need that kind of luck to win away from home – at the moment, we just don’t have it.

Despite the defeats, SC’s position in the league is still more than respectable: after 12 games we sit third, on 22 points. What do you put that down to?

Consistency. We also might have taken a lucky win or two at the start of the season, but that luck has disappeared over our last two games. Nevertheless, we still know we have to look at things week by week and get back on course. That was exactly what will happen from this weekend; we know what to do about it.

You’re able to play on the right side of a back four as well as the right side of three central defenders. Which role do you feel more at home in?

I’m really not sure about that. I never really played in a back three earlier in my career; it’s only become popular in the last few years. I was a central defender in my youth, and became a full-back as I turned professional. I had learned my way around playing in a back four by then. I enjoy playing in a back three, as I can get forward a more and be a bit dangerous in front of goal. That’s not as easy playing with four at the back, as you have another man in front of you. Which do I enjoy playing in more? I think I would say both are okay.

Next up is VfL Bochum. What connections do you have with Bochum, having been born in Bonn?

I like the Ruhr valley, because it has a lot of very honest and direct but kind people, just like those of us from the Rhineland. My only connection to Bochum is that I played against them in the youth team.

Have also played in the Vonovia Ruhrstadion before?

I played there in the 2. Bundesliga with Sandhausen. I think it was a dull 0-0 (it was, on December 12th 2014). I think it’s a very cool stadium with its own character and a great atmosphere. It will definitely be a fun game…

… even if it won’t be an easy one: Bochum are in 13th place on 13 points. Not your regular promoted side, right?

Bochum have already won four times, an incredibly strong amount for a promoted side after so few games. We know their strengths well.

What do you expect from Bochum?

I think it’ll be a very intense game. Bochum can play great stuff and are coming into the game with a lot of self confidence. We can expect a lot of different things.

How will we need to go about the game to start another unbeaten run like our last?

We’ll definitely have to do a one or two things better than against Bayern and Eintracht. It would also be a  good thing to take the lead – that will definitely help us out.

Interview: Marcel Burger, Sina Ojo