Marc Burch kept out of practice as a precautionary measure

Left-back Marc Burch was absent from Minnesota United FC practice Thursday, but that shouldn't keep the starter from playing against his old team this weekend.

Burch picked up a slight groin strain during the 2-2 draw at the Houston Dynamo this past Saturday and was kept out of training Thursday as a precautionary measure. The defender is still expected to be available 5 p.m. Sunday against the Colorado Rapids at TCF Bank Stadium. Burch was part of a March 31 transaction that sent him and midfielder Sam Cronin to United in exchange for Mohammed Saeid and Josh Gatt.

Midfielder Rasmus Schuller, who left the Houston match with a hip flexor injury, trained with the team for the first half of practice again before working separately on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who also left the Houston match with a head laceration and concussion, continued to practice separately on the sidelines.

Long-term injured players Bernardo Anor, on the disabled list with a leg injury, and Thomas de Villardi, season-ending Achilles injury, were both rehabbing in the training room. Defender Joe Greenspan is still on loan with the United Soccer League's Pittsburgh Riverhounds and trialist Abdoulaye Diallo is still training with the Loons.

There's an extensive personnel update, for ya. Now here's some quotes from your friendly neighborhood left winger Bashkim Kadrii. (He goes by Bashkim, not Bash, sources say) (He's the source).

The Denmark native said he's been feeling more comfortable on the team now that he's been with United for nearly three months. He's on a year-long loan from FC Copenhagen.

"Things are getting better and better every week," he said. "I had those two [knee] injuries, so I haven't played so much in past years. So this was a good opportunity for me to come here and build up week after week."

The team as a whole is also benefiting from more time spent together.

"You learn each other, you learn where players run, you learn, like, everything about each other," Kadrii said. "When you get close, everything gets better."