Schalke have completed the signing of full-back Sascha Riether on an initial one-year deal.
The former Germany international spent last season at Freiburg as the club dropped out of the Bundesliga, having joined from Fulham following their relegation from the Premier League in 2014.
However, with Atsuto Uchida looking set to miss the early stages of the Bundesliga campaign after knee surgery, Riether has been brought in to help plug the gap during Andre Breitenreiter's debut campaign at the Veltins Arena.
Schalke also signed full-back Junior Caicara during the close-season with Reither's one-year deal including an option for a further season.
Riether, 32, told the club's official website: "Schalke are a huge club. I am delighted to be part of this club and I want to help the team to achieve their goals."
Speaking on Thursday, general manager Horst Heldt also confirmed that Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan was close to joining Abu Dhabi-based side Al Jazira.
On Riether, Heldt added: "Sascha Riether is an experienced player who will be good for our young team.
"He's another alternative on the right side, as Atsuto Uchida is unfortunately still out for a while."
