USMNT star Gio Reyna makes return from injury with substitute appearance in Borussia Dortmund's blowout of Freiburg

With Dortmund up 4-0 and up a man, Gio Reyna made his return in the 78th minute of Saturday's 4-0 win over Freiburg. He replaced Julian Brandt, who, moments earlier, had scored a stunning free-kick for Dortmund's third goal.

The substitute appearance was Reyna's first since August, as the U.S. men's national team star had been out with a groin injury. That injury occurred during the USMNT's September camp, causing him to miss those games as well as the first two camps of Mauricio Pochetino's tenure.

Reyna's only other appearance of the season had come on Aug. 24, when he made a nine-minute cameo in a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

In his 12 minutes, Reyna completed each of his 12 passes, keeping things moving for a Dortmund side that overmatches their opponents with ease on Saturday.

The return to the field is big news for Reyna, who has struggled for playing time for several years now. His loans pell to Nottingham Forest last season didn't give him the minutes he needed, and he returned to Dortmund this summer hoping to make his case under new coach Nuri Sahin.

His injury prevented him from making that case but, now inching closer to full fitness, Reyna will now be able to fight for his place in teh XI. He may have a chance, too, as Dortmund have struggled without him, winning just six of their first XI Bundesliga matches of the season.

On the USMNT front, it'll be a while before we see Reyna play under Pochettino, with the full U.S. team not set to gather again until the CONCACAF Nations League in March.

Reyna wasn't the only American in the Dortmund squad on Saturday, as rising star Cole Campbell joined him in the 18. Campbell made his Dortmund debut in the club's 2-1 loss to Augsburg last month while also playing in the Champions League for Sturm Graz.

It's a big week for Reyna and Dortmund, who will visit Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League midweek. After that, they'll return home for a massive match on Nov. 30, when they host Bayern Munich.