An injury to Sergiño Dest in Barcelona’s Europa League match on Thursday has put the U.S. men’s national team in a tricky spot ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifiers.
In the round-of-16 second leg against Galatasaray in Istanbul, Dest limped off while holding his hamstring in the 56th minute. The timing of the injury could have lasting repercussions given that the USMNT is set to release its World Cup qualifying roster later on Thursday.
Barcelona wound up winning, 2–1, on goals from Pedri and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, battling back from an early deficit to reach the quarterfinals.
As for the USMNT, it currently sits second in Concacaf’s qualifying table, tied on points with Mexico but ahead on goal differential. The U.S. opens the final round of qualifying on March 24 against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca before hosting Panama in Orlando three days later. It then closes out the qualifying campaign with a trip to Costa Rica on March 30.
The U.S. was just starting to turn a corner on the injury front with Zack Steffen recently being named in the Man City team after dealing with a back and shoulder problem. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna recently returned from a three-week injury layoff and, on Wednesday, assisted on the match-winner for Borussia Dortmund vs. Mainz.
Weston McKennie has already been ruled out for Juventus’s season after suffering a fractured foot in Champions League play last month, and now all eyes turn to Dest. The Barcelona right back has played a part in two clean sheets and recorded a goal and an assist in his last four appearances for the USMNT. It could be a double blow for the player, with a date against Real Madrid in El Clásico looming on Sunday.
If Dest is unable to participate in the upcoming qualifiers, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter could turn to Boavista’s Reggie Cannon or new Inter Miami signing DeAndre Yedlin at right back. The less-experienced Joe Scally, Bryan Reynolds and Shaq Moore are other potential alternatives.
