Ahead of his side’s next big European game, SC head coach Christian Streich has fewer injury problems to contend with than in recent weeks – Lukas Kübler is back with the squad after a muscle injury, while Philipp Lienhart was also able to take part in team training on Tuesday. Thursday’s match, however, will come too soon for the Austrian. “We’ll have to think about whether he can play 60, 70 minutes for the second team, and make sure we manage him properly. It all went well for Christian Günter,” said Streich.

Matthias Ginter coped well against Bayern after returning from an Achilles tendon injury and is ready for Thursday’s clash: “I didn’t have any problems and I’m looking forward to the game. West Ham are a top team offensively and have very good individual players.”

Defending sharply against quick players

In the first meeting between SCF and the London-based side on the second matchday of the UEFA Europa League group stage at the Europa-Park Stadion, Lucas Paquetá impressed for the visitors and scored the opening goal of West Ham’s 2-1 win. “He’s got the complete package,” said Ginter with regards to the Brazil international midfielder. “He makes things happen with the ball. That’s hard to stop as an individual. That’s why we’ll of course try to deal with him together as a team.”

The Premier League’s seventh-placed side, who won 3-1 at Everton at the weekend, have a lot of attacking players who can exploit the space with their speed, according to Christian Streich. “We’ll therefore need to cover for each other and communicate,” said the SC head coach. “It’s important that we don’t just have six players at the back in a line and that we don’t let ourselves be pinned back.”

Need to be brave in possession

In the 2-2 draw against FC Bayern, Freiburg were able to keep the ball for long periods of time, which is something that they’re looking to replicate in Thursday’s clash. “We want to be in control of the game. The lads have to believe in themselves, which is something we’ve been discussing,” Streich explained.

The excitement is growing in Freiburg ahead of the fixture, which will see them face off against West Ham in a sold-out Europa-Park Stadion. “We’ve made it to the round of 16 and fought hard to get here. Of course, we're always looking to achieve more,” urged the head coach. “The club has done really well over the past few years and therefore deserves this. We, as players, aim to carry that with us and will make tomorrow evening a special one.”

Photo: Achim Keller