Sounders’ Eric Friberg working on fitness and touch

TUKWILA – Erik Friberg signed with Seattle Sounders FC on June 29, traveled from Europe last week and was formally introduced to the local media Tuesday.

The top remaining question is when he might make his return to the pitch, and no one is making promises on that.

“It could take a couple of weeks, I don’t know, to get to 100 (percent),” Friberg said after training at Starfire Sports Complex. “I’m pretty good right now. I need a couple of more touches on the ball, but fitness-wise I’m OK.”

The Sounders won’t need Friberg at 100 percent before getting him into a game. But coach Sigi Schmid was still weighing if the midfielder will be ready enough to return to Major League Soccer play Saturday, when the Colorado Rapids visit CenturyLink Field.

“It’s not just fitness, it’s also touches on the ball, timing, things like that,” Schmid said. “A lot of times when you’re working through fitness in preseason you’re not playing your best soccer because when you’re tired a little bit, decisions aren’t the best. So I think every day his touches get better. I’m not going to speculate. We’ll see where we are on Saturday.”

Friberg is a native of Sweden who first came to the Sounders in 2011, when he appeared in 26 games with 23 starts, recording one goal and two assists. Then he moved back to Sweden has since played for Malmo FF of Sweden, Bologna of Italy’s Serie A and most recently Esberg of the top Danish league.

“From what I’ve seen in the couple of days he’s trained now, he’s very clean and he’s very simple,” general manager Garth Lagerwey said. “Everything is one and two touches. He has very good vision for the field, and I think he’s a player that’s really going to help us connect passes.”