Lukas Podolski: "Of course I’m impatient"

Lukas Podolski’s appearance for Arsenal in their UEFA Champions League play-off tie against Fenerbahce has cost him more dearly than was initially feared, following the discovery that the forward has torn his right-thigh muscle.

Nevertheless, the 28-year-old international made the trip to join up with the German national squad in Munich where, in an interview with reporter Steffen Lüdeke for DFB.de, he spoke about his injury, Mesut Özil’s transfer and the upcoming game against Austria.

DFB.de: Mr. Podolski, the first question is an obvious one. How are you and how’s your thigh doing?

Lukas Podolski: It’s getting better, that’s for sure. I’ll be out for about three months, give or take, depending on how quickly it heals. I’ve got to wait and let the wound heal first. That can take between two and four weeks, and after that I can step up my recovery.

DFB.de: How difficult are you finding this lay-off?

Podolski: I love football, so of course I’m impatient. I always find it difficult when I can’t play for a long period of time, but I can’t change anything. I have to take things as they come and try to deal with the situation the best I can. The timing is infuriating, of course, but it could have been worse; for example, if I’d picked up an injury just before the World Cup.

DFB.de: But you were just hitting your stride. Pre-season went well, and then you scored two for Arsenal in their second match of the Premier League season…

Podolski: Of course, that makes it tough too; I was feeling really good and would love to be able to keep helping the team.

DFB.de: In the shape of Mesut Özil, Arsenal made a big addition to their ranks on Monday, a new team-mate who you already know very well. How do you rate that transfer?

Podolski: The transfer reminded me a lot of the signing of Per [Mertesacker] – all very last minute and completed on the last day of the transfer window. How would I rate it? It’s great for us; Arsenal are getting a fantastic footballer. I think he’s extremely well-suited to our style of play. We play a lot of very quick passes, so we play a brand of football that he likes. I’m sure he’ll be a great help to us.

DFB.de: Is this transfer positive for the national team and for you personally, too? After all, there will now be two Germany attackers at the same club.

Podolski: It’s definitely not a disadvantage. I’ve known Mesut for a long time, and we’ve both been international players for a while. I really enjoy playing alongside him and I think he enjoys it, too. We complement one another well. I’m really looking forward to having Mesut as a club-mate too. It’s also great that the German contingent at Arsenal keeps getting bigger. There are five of us at the Gunners now, and the manager speaks German too. I definitely think Mesut will feel at home there, we’ll have a lot of fun.

DFB.de: Have you ever heard him sing?

Podolski: No. All the new players at Arsenal have to do it, but I’m worried I’ll miss that particular treat because of my injury. But maybe I’ll be lucky and Mesut will wait until I’m back with the team before he sings his initiation song.

DFB.de: From your perspective, FC Bergheim’s latest result must have been almost as important as Özil’s transfer. Your hometown team won 5-2 at SV Rott and you were there to witness it.

Podolski: That was much more important! (Laughs) They lost their first away game so they were under pressure to perform. It’s similar to Arsenal really – we lost our first game at home and then saved the start of our season by winning away from home.

DFB.de: You’ve got a very close connection with FC Bergheim. Why is this team so important to you?

Podolski: Lots of my friends play there. I’ve known several of the players for ten to 15 years, so some really close friendships have formed from that. You know how it is; you stay in touch, you ask after one another. For me, football is associated with lots of emotions, so I think it’s normal that even after you leave a club, you check to see how they’re getting on. I’ve never forgotten my roots, so I try to support my home team as well as I can.

DFB.de: You even got several of Arsenal’s stars to wish FC Bergheim good luck for the season via video, didn’t you?

Podolski: That was a bit of fun, everyone got involved straight away, I didn’t have to coax anyone into it. And I know my friends in Bergheim were really pleased about it too.

DFB.de: You’re still here with the national squad despite your injury. Why is that?

Podolski: It’s for several reasons. Of course, it was important for me to be examined by Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt and to discuss each step of my recovery with him and the whole medical team. But, of course, I’m also here for the sake of being here. There’s always a fantastic atmosphere within the team, and it does me good to be part of that unit. Also, I’m not the only injured player who has shown up – Bastian Schweinsteiger was here and Holger Badstuber turned up today too.

DFB.de: What is your impression of your team-mates? How focused is the team ahead of Friday’s game against Austria?

Podolski: They’re getting more and more focused. The lads are looking forward to the match. It’ll be an awesome game in Munich, in front of 70,000 people, playing against our neighbours. I’m sure the team will go into that match fully prepared.

DFB.de: Where will you be watching the match?

Podolski: In the same place as most of the fans: at home, in front of the TV, with my fingers crossed.