Minnesota United defender Vadim Demidov has been a “really good professional” while not playing in three of the previous four matches, coach Adrian Heath said Thursday.

Demidov, one of the higher-priced signings for the Major League Soccer expansion franchise, was not on the 18-man game day roster for the first time this season during the 2-0 loss to Dallas last Saturday. Heath and his staff planned to decided the travel roster Thursday afternoon for when United (1-4-1) plays the Houston Dynamo (3-2-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night in Texas.

“It’s been a difficult situation for him; obviously he’s a proud guy,” Heath said. “He came here with all the best intentions, and at this moment in time, it’s not working for him.”

Demidov, who has experience in Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga, wore the captain’s armband for the Loons at the start of the season. United hopes that the Norwegian will acclimate to a new team, league and country.

“We, he have to work through that because at some stage his chance will come again,” Heath said. “That is the way football is. But he’s a really good professional. He is training really well, so we need to build from that.”

Demidov, 30, started at center back in the first two games — a 5-1 season-opening loss to Portland on March 3 and a 6-1 home-opening loss to Atlanta on March 12. His only appearance in the last month was a full 90 minutes in the 5-2 loss to New England on March 25, when center back Francisco Calvo was away with the Costa Rican national team.