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Sandy • No other team in Major League Soccer will be on the receiving end of a significant offensive boost this late in the season like Real Salt Lake. With the transfer window now closed and the league's trade deadline upcoming on Sept. 15, clubs still have the ability to change the configuration of their groups.

But RSL won't have to clear cap space or shake up its roster. It has one Designated Players working his way back from a significant injury and another Designated Player working his way into further integrating himself in the locker room and learning the ins-and-outs and everything else in-between.

The club's all-time leading scorer, 32-year-old forward Alvaro Saborio, trained fully with the team this week for the first time since early May. The Costa Rican international broke his foot on May 29 and has gone through rigorous rehab to put himself fairly ahead of schedule. Earlier this week, RSL coach Jeff Cassar said Saborio — who has six goals and two assists in 10 matches in 2014 — is in contention for match-day selection.

On Friday, Cassar said he and his coaching staff would determine Saborio's availability for Saturday's match with FC Dallas at Rio Tinto Stadium Friday afternoon. I asked Cassar what he needs to see from Saborio in order to make him available for a match.

"More than anything, just kind of get up to speed — he's done that," Cassar explained. "Just the way he's recovered from each practice. It's been good … just getting him used to the speed of play and then making sure every time we start practice the next day [the foot] is not sore or there isn't some pain. So far he hasn't had either."

With two of the club's next four matches on the road — and on turf — Cassar said the team doctor said playing on turf wouldn't negatively impact Saborio's healed right foot from being able to play.

"But how does he react after that game? Not sure," Cassar continued. "You never know, maybe he's a little bit more sore, but the doctor said he's completely fine on playing on turf."

The conversation transitioned to Sebastian Jaime. The 27-year-old Argentine forward arrived on Aug. 22 and has been through two full weeks of training with the club now, but has yet to make his debut. He traveled with the club on the 18-man roster to San Jose last weekend.

What has Cassar seen from his newest forward, who might have to be pressed into action with Saborio's status up in the air and leading scorer Joao Plata away on national-team duty until late next week?

"Picking up the tactical side, gaining some chemistry with the players around him," Cassar said. "Each practice he's looked more comfortable, got more dangerous with each session and now he's able to show his qualities. At the beginning, you're kind of just running around and learning names and getting used to your new teammates, but now he's able to show his personality."

Will Jaime be making his first appearance Saturday night against FC Dallas?

Cassar: "He's going to definitely going to be in the running."

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Rimando good to go • Roughly 48 hours after posting four second-half saves and preserving a clean sheet in the U.S. men's national team's 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague Wednesday, RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando went through full training at Rio Tinto Stadium. Cassar said he spoke to Rimando Thursday who told his head coach he's "ready to go" Saturday night against FC Dallas.

I asked Cassar if the dynamic of coaching Rimando changes with him being in contention for the No. 1 goalkeeper spot with the USMNT along with Aston Villa's Brad Guzan.

"I think Nick's performance over his career is always putting him into contention for the national team, now his performance with the national team are putting him contention to be No. 1," Cassar said, before mentioning Rimando's still-unblemished 13-0-2 record with the U.S. "That speaks volumes, right? I'm sure the coaches know what he brings to the team on and off the field, so he's putting himself in that contention and Brad's playing well — it's good, healthy competition."

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Nelsen out, Vanney in • A shake-up north-of-the-border came Sunday when Toronto FC coach Ryan Nelsen was let go. It wasn't a shocking move for a team that spend roughly $100 million in the off-season to bring in Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley, Gilberto, and others. The Reds (9-10-6) appointed former MLS player Greg Vanney as their head coach. Vanney was the former academy director for RSL's Arizona-based residential soccer academy in Casa Grande, Ariz.

Turns out, he was freshman-year roommates with Cassar at Florida International University. Vanney eventually transferred to UCLA, where he finished his playing career.

"Hanging with me," Cassar joked, "you want to transfer."

But RSL's first-year head coach was complimentary of Toronto FC's new head man.

"He's an extremely intelligent soccer mind, very organized and he's got a good team," Cassar said. "He's got good players, so hopefully he can spur them on to some performances to get into the playoffs."

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-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani