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U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino must have felt a wave of relief watching defender Sergiño Dest take the field for the first time in nearly two months on Saturday.
Dest entered as a substitute in PSV Eindhoven's 2–2 stalemate against Ajax, clocking 30 minutes in his first outing since March 7, when he suffered a hamstring problem. The injury sidelined him as his club secured its third straight Eredivisie championship and while the national team played friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal.
The USMNT sorely felt Dest's absence in those two World Cup warm-ups, dropping both games by a combined score of 7–2 — a worrying sign ahead of this summer's marquee tournament, which is scheduled to take place primarily on American soil.
Early concerns suggested another lengthy injury spell could rule Dest out of Pochettino's World Cup roster entirely, but his comeback represents a significant lift for the USMNT.
Dest Faces Competition for His Place in Pochettino's XI
Prior to his injury, Dest was widely regarded as a certainty to start at right wingback for the USMNT this summer. The American excels at gliding past defenders with slick footwork, igniting counterattacks that leave opponents scrambling to contain him down the right side.
It's hardly a coincidence that the USMNT recorded back-to-back victories over Paraguay and Uruguay to wrap up 2025 with Dest in Pochettino's lineup. Equally telling was the team's poor showing in March without him available.
However, recent tactical tinkering by Pochettino has cast doubt over Dest's role. Tim Weah stepped into Dest's position — either at right back or right wingback — in recent games and arguably performed better there than he had on the right wing, presenting Pochettino with a tricky dilemma: Does he drop Weah to reinstate Dest, pushing the former into a role where he has struggled recently?
The adaptable Alex Freeman also deputized at right back, giving Dest yet another competitor to overcome on his path back to the starting eleven. Nevertheless, the PSV standout remains the frontrunner to claim the right flank spot this summer.
Dest, USMNT Get Two Final World Cup Tune-Ups
Throwing Dest straight back into the starting lineup at the World Cup could be disruptive for a USMNT side that had the defender available for just four matches over the past two years. The silver lining, however, is that the Stars and Stripes face Senegal and Germany just a fortnight before the tournament begins.
Those warm-up fixtures offer the ideal platform to reintegrate Dest into the squad and give him valuable game time before the USMNT opens its tournament campaign against Paraguay on June 12.
The friendlies also hand Pochettino two final opportunities to settle on his preferred starting eleven and system after two years of experimentation. The Argentine drew sharp criticism during the March window for abandoning the back three that had proven so effective at the end of 2025, and he will be eager to avoid repeating that error given the two heavy defeats that followed.
Strong performances against Senegal and Germany would provide the USMNT with a timely confidence boost heading into the tournament, while also rekindling fan enthusiasm for the host nation, whose inconsistent results in recent years have caused many supporters to disengage.