Back from his home in Finland, new Minnesota United midfielder Robin Lod trained with teammates Friday and will make his MLS debut Sunday against Portland, playing a game for the first time in seven weeks.
How much and in what role won't be determined until he trains again on Saturday.
Lod had trained with the Finnish national team's conditioning coach using a plan United staff sent with him when he returned home after he signed with United.
The trip allowed him to be present for the birth of his first child and to complete his U.S. immigration process there.
"I'm good," Lod said after Friday's session. "I've been training. I had a good plan working to get in better shape day by day, so I'm feeling good now."
United coach Adrian Heath called Lod, 26, "available" for Sunday's home game after he returned to Minnesota late Thursday night. The presence of Lod, an attacking midfielder, and the return of injured Kevin Molino from a hamstring injury gives Heath options to replace star Darwin Quintero, who is suspended because of yellow-card accumulations.
"Whether we start him and give him an hour or whether he comes off the bench, I would think some portion of him will be involved on Sunday,'' Heath said. "Let's see how he is [Saturday]."
United plays Portland again at Allianz Field on Wednesday in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal, with the winner headed to play the Atlanta United-Orlando City winner for the title.