Chelsea haven't been at their best recently - is that because of too many games?
I think the last few games have been tough but tomorrow is a Champions League game and the Champions League is a tough competition in football where anything can happen so we still need to prepare right. It is not going to be an easy game. They are a good side but it is a home game so hopefully we can get a win tomorrow and start building some momentum.
There was a break in at your house where the Champions League and Super Cup medals were stolen. What’s the update and how does it feel now?
There’s no update or leads from the police or anyone. It is tough to take people breaking into my house to take such valuable items. At this moment, there’s nothing I can do but take it and move on.
Those items are so valuable to you that you can afford to lose them?
No one wants to lose medals. They mean a lot to every player. Winning a trophy is hard to do so when it gets taken away from you it is tough.
Thomas Tuchel says the players are tired?
Yes, I think the schedule is very busy. The last years it has picked up and we play every few days. I think we are used to it now. The start of the season is always busy and the international break at the end of every month. After Christmas, it starts to slow down a bit.
How bad was it that your house was robbed while you were at an away game?
No nothing changes. It happened and it may well could happen again. No one knows but it doesn’t effect how I prepare for a game. I still have the same mentality and mindset.
The team isn't itself yet, fair to say?
It’s still early in the season, we’re not going to be at the highest level yet. There’s a long way to go. The last few performances probably haven’t been at the highest level for us, but once we start winning and finding form and momentum I believe our performances will get better.
With the schedule, do you feel like you can never truly switch off?
You can be a human being as well as a footballer, we all have time away from football. At the same time, it’s a very busy schedule. We dedicate our lives to football because everybody wants to be the best and have the best career.
