United FC sporting director Manny Lagos was involved in Major League Soccer’s decision to cut the expansion draft for Minnesota and Atlanta from 10 picks apiece to five.

The current 20 MLS clubs will each declare 11 of their players protected three days before the Dec. 13 expansion draft, and Minnesota and Atlanta will alternate picks from the available players to help build their rosters for their debut seasons in March 2017.

While MLS considered ending the expansion draft this year, the level of direct talent infusion for clubs has varied from little to nil. There’s also the opportunity to package the expansion draft picks for other assets such as players or budget flexibility.

“You are looking at four to six expansion draft players who have made significant contributions to an MLS expansion franchise the following year,” Lagos said. “I think when you go off that premise, you know that there is an asset (available) there.”

In the most recent expansion draft in 2014, New York City FC and Orlando City each took 10 players. As of Wednesday, a total of five were still on their rosters, and only two — NYCFC’s Jason Hernandez and Thomas McNamara — have played significant minutes this season. Orlando City has only one of 10 players from the expansion draft currently on its roster.

Lagos will fly to New York for a coin flip Oct. 16 to determine whether Minnesota or Atlanta receives the chance to pick first among six categories. The top two categories are expected to be the first pick in the expansion draft and the first pick in the MLS SuperDraft, which resembles drafts in other sport.

Lagos wasn’t revealing his preference on Wednesday. He also didn’t share whether he would be looking for the best available player versus need, or youth over experience.

“The real work comes these next three months, and we have to ask (those) questions and basically have answers for all of them,” Lagos said.

Lagos said the club is in the process of hiring scouts, and they currently are working with consultants. Last week, they announced the hiring of Tim Carter to run their development academy, the long-term mechanism to building the roster.

LAING OUT?

In United’s 1-0 loss to the first-place New York Cosmos on Saturday, Loons coach Carl Craig removed Lance Laing in the 61st minute. In the opening hour, Laing had continued his strong run of play in recent games with seven shots, including three on net.

“I think he runs out of gas,” Craig explained Wednesday. “Offensively, he was doing all right; defensively, he was struggling. I know we are chasing the game, but we have to take care of that business. It’s a bit of a balancing act.”

Craig put winger Stefan Pinho in the match; he had one off target shot in the last half hour.

HEALTHY, FINALLY

With defender Kevin Venegas and Pinho at full strength, United is as healthy as they’ve been since late April. The Loons will continue their push for the North American Soccer League playoffs with Saturday’s match against the Ottawa Fury at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Defender Damion Lowe, one of the few hurt United players, is expected to overcome his hamstring issue and be ready to play, Craig said.

Venegas, who is returning from a knee injury, was subbed on in the 82nd minute Saturday, sat out against Oklahoma City Sept. 3 and came on in the 67th minute against Fort Lauderdale Aug. 31.

Craig said he saw Pinho and Venegas “flying around” at training Wednesday.

“That’s more like it,” he said.

HONORING WETTERLING

United will honor Jacob Wetterling’s memory before Saturday’s match.

United players will wear custom-made No. 11 warm-ups, which will then be signed and donated to the Jacob Wetterling Resouce Center. Wetterling, who disappeared from St. Joseph, Minn., in 1989 at age 11, loved sports and often wore No. 11. His body was discovered over Labor Day weekend.

The Minnesota Twins and Gophers honored the memory of Wetterling during home games last weekend.