Loris Karius returns to the Bundesliga with Schalke 04. It remains unclear in which basic formation head coach Miron Muslic will line up his side. For the goalkeeper, however, only one detail matters, as he revealed at the edge of the training camp.

During the previous second division season, Miron Muslic initially set up his defense in a three-man chain, then in a four-man chain. With an eye toward the upcoming Bundesliga season, the head coach of Schalke 04 has not yet revealed exactly how he envisions his defensive setup. Either way, the open system question has no major impact on regular goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Karius explained that for him it is more about how high or deep the defensive line stands rather than the system itself. He made these comments at the edge of the Royal Blues' training camp in Austria to Sky.

Karius: Muslic is "surely thinking about it"

Karius elaborated that when the team stood high in the last season, he had plenty of space behind him where he could often clear the ball. He noted that he looks at these things more than whether it is a four-man or five-man chain, as he cannot influence that much during the match.

The greater space between goalkeeper and defense naturally also creates the danger of one-on-one situations with the opposing striker. In the previous season, Karius had repeatedly distinguished himself in such situations. He stated that he often came out as the winner last season, and acknowledged that it can be challenging when you stand so high and cannot prevent everything and an opponent runs at you. He added that they will see how they handle it in the top flight, and that the coach is surely thinking about it.

During the previous second division season, Loris Karius recorded 13 clean sheets. As a reward for his strong performances, his contract was extended, so he goes into the Bundesliga season as the clear number one.