Borussia Dortmund teen Gio Reyna has been enjoying an extended summer break after winning the CONCACAF Nations League with the USA. - © imago
Borussia Dortmund teen Gio Reyna has been enjoying an extended summer break after winning the CONCACAF Nations League with the USA. - © imago
bundesliga

USA's Gio Reyna set to link up with Borussia Dortmund for pre-season training

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Gio Reyna is expected to start pre-season training at Borussia Dortmund in the coming week, after an extended break following his CONCACAF Nations League-winning exploits with the USMNT.

Reyna played 78 minutes of the USA's 1-0 win over Honduras in the Nations League semi-finals, before scoring one and assisting another as the Stars and Stripes claimed a 3-2 extra-time win against Mexico in the final on 7 June.

With US coach Gregg Berhalter opting for a more experimental squad at the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, Reyna can now focus solely on preparations for his second full campaign of Bundesliga football.

The 18-year-old playmaker made 46 appearances in all competitions last season, producing seven goals and seven assists, and is one of three Dortmund-based nominees for the 2021 Golden Boy.

Watch: Gio Reyna's learning curve in 2020/21

Shortlisted teammate Youssoufa Moukoko is also nearing a return following three months on the sidelines with a foot problem. The 16-year-old made history last season as the Bundesliga's youngest debutant and goalscorer.

Star striker Erling Haaland - the reigning Golden Boy - is due to link up with the Dortmund camp the week beginning 12 July. BVB's 10 UEFA Euro 2020 participants - including semi-final opponents Jude Bellingham (England) and Thomas Delaney (Denmark) - won't be back at the club until the end of the month.

"We know the situation of all the players at Euro 2020 and will have to work with it," new Dortmund head coach Marco Rose said of the personnel situation. "The boys should also have time for vacation. Erling [Haaland] and Gio [Reyna], for example, had international matches, so they will join us a little later."

Dortmund, who finished third in the Bundesliga last season and won the DFB Cup, have a series of pre-season friendlies lined up ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Black-Yellows face Gießen, Duisburg, Bochum, Athletic Bilbao and Bologna in July, before beginning their DFB Cup defence on 6-9 August.

Eintracht Frankfurt provide the opposition in Rose's first Bundesliga outing as Dortmund coach on 14 August. A DFL Supercup showdown with record champions Bayern Munich follows three days later.