It’s a bit of a tricky time for World Cup hopefuls. In order to make the 26-man roster this summer, U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to see players getting regular minutes for their clubs.
That means he wants to see them at the top of their games, scoring goals, making an impact, and keeping clean sheets.
On the surface, that’s all well and good. But there’s risk involved. Just ask fullback Sergino Dest, who suffered an apparent leg injury during PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar over the weekend. The defender went down in the 56th minute, grabbing his left hamstring and screaming in pain. He was helped off the field by medical staff.
(Photo by Kevin Senders/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Now, Dest could miss the USA’s upcoming March camp, which features matches against Belgium (March 28) and Portugal (March 31) in Atlanta. This window is the most important one to date because it’s the last time the squad will be together before Pochettino makes his World Cup roster decisions.
Dest said he hopes to be back as soon as possible.
“I’m out for a little while to do what I love the most!” Dest posted on social media. “But one thing for sure this is NOT the end of the season! I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that I’m coming back asap on the right timing! Thanks for the messages won’t let you guys down!”
Dest would likely be the No. 1 option at right back for Pochettino, but the U.S. manager has options should he need to use them. Tim Weah has been used as an attacking player for the national team, but is versatile and plays right back and right wing for Marseille. Alex Freeman, who joined Villarreal from Orlando City in January, has impressed Pochettino over the last year. And Joe Scally, who plays regular minutes for Borussia Mönchengladbach, was a backup on the 2022 World Cup roster.
In the months leading up to World Cups, players always say they try not to think about getting injured and do their best to stay focused on a daily basis. But injuries can happen at the most inconvenient times. Four years ago, defenders Miles Robinson (torn Achilles) and Chris Richards (hamstring) missed the World Cup in Qatar due to injuries sustained months before the tournament began. On the women’s team side, forward Mallory Swanson (knee) and former captain and starting center back Becky Sauerbrunn (foot) were forced to miss the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Midfielder/forward Catarina Macario (knee) missed the 2024 Olympics after initially making that roster.
Dest tore his ACL in April 2024 and returned to national team duty in March 2025. He has only played in a handful of matches for Pochettino since then, but was in good form ahead of this most recent setback. When healthy, Dest is one of the best players in the pool.
In addition to Dest, Pochettino and his staff are keeping their eyes on left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, who is recovering from an ankle injury but is back playing for Fulham. And midfielder Diego Luna, who is dealing with a knee injury that’s kept him sidelined at the start of Real Salt Lake’s MLS season. Striker Ricardo Pepi, who recently returned to form after breaking his arm in January, scored the winning goal for PSV about 30 minutes after Dest was taken off the field.
Time is of the essence. It’s less than 100 days until the USA’s June 12 opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles.