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Klauss and Rasmus Alm, two key parts of the team’s offensive attack when healthy, have been practicing with the team and could return to play for the first time in months Sunday when City SC plays the Los Angeles Galaxy at CityPark.

“That was really nice,� interim coach John Hackworth said.

It’s an encouraging sign that City SC needs amid a disappointing season. Both have been out since June with knee sprains, and both were on the field Wednesday with wraps on their right knees. Klauss took part in all of practice, Alm took part in most. Hackworth said Klauss is “for sure� going to be available for Sunday, but there was still some uncertainty about Alm.

“Ras, I’m a little more conservative with,� Hackworth said, “just because I want him to be pain-free in all of his actions, and he’s not right now. I don’t think any of them are ready to start, necessarily, but it’ll be nice to have them.�

Alm hasn’t played since June 1, Klauss since June 22.

Klauss still leads the team in goals with five, though new acquisitions Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel and Simon Becher, who have played only one or two MLS games each, are showing signs of closing ground quickly. Nokkvi Thorisson, with three goals in the past four MLS games, has four on the season.

Alm has appeared in only 12 games this season, but the team generally does well when he’s in the lineup, with the team winning two and tying seven of his 12 games.

Joakim Nilsson, coming back from a hamstring injury, has practiced with the team as well but didn’t get in a full session because of a knock.

“Unfortunate that Joakim took a knock there because he was back and looking really good Monday and Tuesday as well,� Hackworth said.

It’s hot

An extra challenge at practice this week has been the heat. The temperature hit 102 degrees Tuesday in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, and City SC, which practices in the late morning, usually starting around 10:30, hasn’t been able to avoid it.

“Today was a little better than yesterday,� center back Henry Kessler said, “but yesterday was scorching.�

“It’s been brutal,� Hackworth said. “Today’s not so bad, but the last two days have been really tough. We’ve had tough sessions, but the players have battled through it. I think it’s good preparation. I hope it’s very hot and humid (Sunday) so the L.A. boys will melt in the Missouri sun.�

Hackworth said the game plan in practice wasn’t changed by the extreme heat.

“You have to adapt to the environment in our sport,� he said. “So it wasn’t like we wanted to do something different. We had a plan for the week, and we stuck to it. It was probably nice that today cooled down a little bit because it might have been tough to get from yesterday to today with the intensity that we had.�

City SC’s game Sunday against the Galaxy kicks off at 1:45 p.m., and the forecast for then isn’t quite so bad, with a high of 88.

“Here, it’s so hot,� said newly arrived German left back Jannes Horn, “and when you go inside, it’s so cold. So it’s weird for my family. ... Yesterday was so hot, I told my wife, I never saw something like that. I never expected this.�

Where’s Blom?

Njabulo Blom has not played the past three games and has appeared in only one of the past seven. The defensive midfielder from South Africa was suspended for the Portland game in Leagues Cup because of a violation of team rules, and for the next two games, both on the road, he was eligible but not chosen for the travel roster. With the imminent return of Klauss and Alm, spots on the 20-player game-day roster are going to get even harder to come by.

Blom was the odd man out of the last drill on Wednesday. He kicked a ball around with Alm while the practice went on.

Hackworth hesitated when asked about Blom’s situation.

“He’s available for selection,� Hackworth said, after searching for what to say and asking a staff member for assistance.

Hackworth downplayed the part of practice in which Blom didn’t take part.

“That’s the role that we asked him to play,� he said. “So we were doing 11 v. 11 at the end. It’s another part of that. ... I wouldn’t read too much into that, without saying anything else. I would just say: Hey, look, if somebody got hurt, Njabulo was in there.�

Outside back issues

Whether Horn starts on Sunday instead of Jayden Reid is up in the air as Horn gets into game shape after a long layoff, but Hackworth raised questions about the right back spot as well, where Tomas Totland has started almost every game.

“Right back and left back are really tough decisions right now,� Hackworth said, “and there’s others, but those two ... and they have to be better. As well as we’ve played with our outside backs, I’m not telling any secrets, we’ve given up goals at those two positions and we, in particular, need to defend the far side, the far post if you will. We have to do that better. We have not been good at that.�

Club America scored on Totland in the Leagues Cup, playing a long ball in his direction. He got turned around and then beaten as Brian Rodriguez scored the goal that made it 1-0 on the way to a 4-2 win for Club America.