German defender Mats Hummels, the new center-back for Roma, who joined from Borussia Dortmund and is a former Bayern Munich player, still hasn’t been able to hit the pitch this season, which has already seen two different coaches.

Hummels came in as a free agent on September 4, just two days after the Spanish player Mario Hermoso arrived at the club under the same conditions. Both signed as free agents and were without minutes during the summer. In fact, Hummels' last match was with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on June 1, while Hermoso's last game was just days earlier in La Liga against Real Sociedad.

Hummels wrapped up his contract with the German team in the most important match a team can play in Europe, but his move to Roma hasn’t translated into game time just yet, despite being linked with teams like Mallorca. On the other hand, Hermoso got his first minutes on September 15 under Daniele De Rossi and has since played in every match of the season, starting in both Europa League games with Croatian coach Ivan Juric now at the helm.

Just before the match against Genoa on September 15, the day Hermoso made his debut, De Rossi mentioned that both players still needed a bit more physical preparation. “Before signing, they told me they were in good shape, and honestly, they showed up well. They’re ready to play, but to get to 100%, they still need a little time,” he said in a press conference.

While Hermoso has managed to reach that fitness level to help the team, it seems Hummels still has some work to do at the training facility. The 35-year-old defender is taking his situation with a sense of humor and shared several photos on social media while visiting the Italian capital, captioning, “I think there will be photos on the pitch soon.”

Despite being ninth in the table, Roma is only three points away from the Champions League spots and boasts one of the best defensive records in the league, having conceded just five goals in Serie A. Only Juventus (1) and Empoli (4) have better records, while they’re tied with Inter Milan in this stat.