Minnesota United star Emanuel Reynoso returns, will join Loons in Arizona for training

Star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso is in Minnesota and will join Minnesota United for preseason training in Arizona this week, the team said Sunday.

He must complete required medical and physical testing before he leaves for Tucson, the club announced on its social media accounts.

Reynoso didn’t report for preseason training and the season’s opening four months last season because of what he called a family matter involving his daughter. He was suspended by MLS for part of that time for failure to report.

He wasn’t present in Blaine last week when the club opened preseason training last Monday.

The Loons began preseason training without a head coach, and new sporting director Khaled El-Ahmad is expected to fully start his new job this week. He will hire a new head coach after the only coach the club ever had, Adrian Heath, was fired near season’s end in October.

“We focus on the players who are here,” said Loons interim coach Cameron Knowles, who led workouts last week. “We’re entrusted with developing all the players here, the 28 guys who are on the field together.”

Veteran defensive midfielder Wil Trapp on Tuesday called Reynoso’s absence “that elephant in the room we can talk about at another time.”

Reynoso’s teammates traveled to Tucson on Sunday and will train there until Feb. 1, playing two friendlies and an intrasquad scrimmage. The Loons will return home briefly before heading to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Coachella Valley Invitational in which they’ll play three friendlies with USL Championship team Phoenix Rising and MLS clubs Chicago FC and Charlotte FC. Their MLS regular season starts Feb. 24 at Austin FC.