Hummels has been one of the best centre-backs in the world for the better part of the last decade. However, signs of a decline have begun to show in the 29-year-old’s play for his club: Bayern Munich in the last couple of years.
The intelligence, aerial ability, and intelligence to read the game and study all around him are still there but the agility. pace and finely honed nose for danger have been looking pretty shaky for the better part of 2 seasons now. While his case at the World Cup has not been helped by the absence of a defensive midfielder to help screen the opposition, his lack of pace has been shown up terribly in all the games Germany played at Russia 2018.
His loss of pace was severely exploited by all three group opponents: Mexico, Sweden and South Korea and he should be left out of the team until his club form picks up. With the likes of Kevin Vogt, Jonathan Tah, and Antonio Rudiger around, the next Die Mannschaft manager will not be short of options