Clint Dempsey is on the verge of making his return to Major League Soccer after more than six months away due to a heart issue.

Dempsey is expected to be in the lineup when the Seattle Sounders open the season on Saturday at Houston. Seattle general manager Garth Lagerwey and coach Brian Schmetzer indicated on Tuesday that Dempsey will be in the lineup against the Dynamo, although how much he plays will be watched closely.

"I would think there is a pretty high probability of that," Schmetzer said as Seattle returned home after participating in the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, to close out its preseason.

Dempsey has been a full participant through most of Seattle's preseason, watching his minutes increase during the Sounders' four exhibition games. He started slowly, but Dempsey capped his preseason by playing 80 minutes in the final exhibition last Saturday, a 1-0 loss to Columbus.