The Portland Timbers (1-1-1, 4 points) go on the road to take on Orlando City SC (1-0-2, 5 points) on Sunday, with six players returning from international duty and a backline that remains a bit unsettled.

Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey (Ghana), midfielder Darlington Nagbe (USMNT) and forward Fanendo Adi (Nigeria), along with defenders Jermaine Taylor and Alvas Powell and forward Darren Mattocks (all with Jamaica) spent time with their national teams during the international break.

They started filtering back into Timbers training this week after varying playing experiences while they were away.

Powell played the full 90 minutes in two games and Nagbe, Mattocks and Taylor all saw some time as substitutes. Those four, along with Kwarasey, got back to Portland in time for some training with the Timbers at the Beaverton facility before heading to Florida on Friday.

Adi, who didn't play in either of Nigeria's matches, has the most complicated itinerary and will rejoin the team in Orlando.

Will it be tough to reintegrate those players?

Coach Caleb Porter said not really. Four of the six have been with the team at least a season and the the other two -- Mattocks and Taylor -- are Major League Soccer veterans.

"I think because they've been here, it makes it easier," Porter said. "It takes a little bit of time to get them back in the flow, but the biggest thing is you hold your breath every (international) game and hope they don't get injured."

They didn't, but there are players who are banged up, especially along the backline, which looked deep in preseason, but has instead become the most fragile part of the lineup.

Captain Liam Ridgewell, after featuring in the first game of the season, remains sidelined (hamstring) and left back Andy Thoma is out (tibia plateau).

With Ridgewell unavailable, Porter has gone with Zarek Valentin on the left side and moved Taylor, who played on the left in the first game, over to the middle in Ridgewell's spot.

But Porter may have more options on the backline against Orlando Sunday.

Left back Chris Klute, who came over from the Columbus Crew in the offseason and has been hampered with a knee problem, has been cleared to play. And the Timbers also brought in Jack Barmby, on loan from Leicester City, who has dazzled in training and is now fully fit.

"They're both available. They're both ready, they're both fit," Porter said. "I think we'll make a decision between Zarek, who has played the last two games, Barmby who is probably a little more fit and sharp, or Klute, who knows the league and who has played more in this league at left back than any of the three."

The Timbers been preparing for an Orlando City side that came into Providence Park in their first Major League Soccer season last April and caught the Timbers flat-footed. Portland lost that game 2-0 and with the perspective of a year's time, Timbers players and Porter admit they were surprised by OCSC's tactics and didn't adjust in the loss.

"They surprised us last year, definitely. They came out a different way than we thought they would and we've got to be aware of that this year," Kwarasey said. "It'll be our job now to figure them out a little bit quicker."

Porter has had more of a body of work to scout.

"Having a little bit more time to kind of see their team helps, absolutely," Porter said. "We've prepared the guys for a couple different scenarios."

The Timbers have had success on the road against Eastern Conference opponents, winning eight out of 16 matches at Eastern Conference stadiums since 2013.

"We've been good at stepping up in big games on the road and getting points," Porter said.

-- Molly Blue