Here's where RSL's roster stands on the first day of 2024 preseason

Real Salt Lake opened preseason training camp Monday at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman with 31 returning players on the roster.

The final departing player was Rubio Rubin, who was loaned to Queretaro FC in Liga MX and made his debut as a second-half sub Friday in a 2-2 draw with Toluca.

The U.S.-turned-Guatemala international arrived in Salt Lake three years ago and totaled 11 goals with seven assists in 79 regular-season appearances with the Claret-and-Cobalt.

The 27-year-old Rubin arrived at RSL from San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship, and also played professionally at FC Utrecht (Netherlands), Club Tijuana (Mexico) and Stabaek (Norway).

Before the club also sent out Jefferson Savarino to Brazil’s Botafogo, RSL brought in 17-year-old forward Fidel Barajas, a rising star in the USL Championship at Charleston Battery.

Salt Lake sent $50,000 in general allocation money and its No. 17 pick in the Major League Soccer waiver order to Toronto FC in exchange for the top waiver pick and the right to select Barajas, a Mexican U-17 international from Sacramento, California, who spent time with the San Jose Earthquakes and Sacramento Republic academies prior to beginning his professional career in 2022.

Barajas had a league-high 11 assists to go along with five goals en route to USL Championship Young Player of the Year honors in 2023, leading the Battery to the Eastern Conference title. After being called up five times with the United States’ U-17 national team, Barajas helped Mexico secure hardware by winning the CONCACAF U-17 championship a year ago, tallying three goals and five assists in the regional championships before scoring a goal with one assist in four matches at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

“I'm really excited, especially going from USL to MLS and picking an amazing club like Real Salt Lake, I’m just really excited,” said Barajas, who is under contract with Salt Lake through the 2026 season with club options for 2027 and 2028. “I look at players like Diego Luna and the history of the Club, how RSL brings along young talents and provides them minutes from the first game and open up possibilities to go to Europe. This is the direction I want to go and the pathway I want to take. This is why I think RSL provides the perfect opportunity.”

Here’s a look at where RSL’s roster sits as the team gathered for the first day of 2024 preseason training camp. U.S. international midfielder Diego Luna will report to training camp after wrapping up his first senior call-up in Orlando, while the young Colombian duo of midfielder Nelson Palacio and forward Andrés Gómez will remain with Los Cafeteros for pre-Olympic camp through early February.

Of course, this list will be updated with academy players, Real Monarchs-specific invitees, and trialists invited to preseason training camp, as they become available:

• GK: Zac MacMath, Gavin Beavers, Tomás Gómez.

• DF: Brayan Vera, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Erik Holt, Delentz Pierre, Zack Farnsworth, Andrew Brody, Bryan Oviedo, Kevin Bonilla, Tommy Silva.

• MF: Pablo Ruiz, Nelson Palacio, Braian Ojeda, Diego Luna, Kevon Lambert, Andrés Gómez, Maikel Chang, Emeka Eneli, Bode Hidalgo, Jude Wellings, Griffin Dillon, Zavier Gozo.

• FW: Chicho Arango, Anderson Julio, Bertin Jacquesson, Ilijah Paul, Axel Kei.

After a preseason that will include stops at the Atlantic Cup in Portugal and a week in Santa Barbara, California, Real Salt Lake opens the 2024 MLS regular season Wednesday, Feb. 21 against Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Inter Miami.

The club’s home opener is Saturday, March 2 against LAFC.