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United States men's national team defender Sergiño Dest was forced to exit Saturday's PSV Eindhoven clash with AZ in the 57th minute after clutching his hamstring and crying out in agony. This injury casts uncertainty over his availability for upcoming March international fixtures versus Belgium and Portugal.
The current Dutch title holders secured a 2–1 victory despite losing the 25-year-old, who sustained the injury close to his own penalty area while pursuing AZ's Wouter Goes. Fellow USMNT player Ricardo Pepi netted the decisive goal in the 85th minute and became involved in a confrontation with Goes during the second half.
Although the club hasn't issued any formal statement regarding the injury, head coach Peter Bosz commented, "That's typically not positive news," when discussing a player collapsing and grasping his hamstring after a full-speed run.
Ricardo Pepi 🤝 Hans Kraay jr.
"You know the word schaal?" 😅 pic.twitter.com/UWG4fwHkE8
Dest has maintained consistent availability throughout 2025–26, featuring in 35 matches across all tournaments. He had previously recovered from an ACL injury that kept him out for 11 months until March 2025, causing him to miss the 2024 Copa América where the USMNT was eliminated in the group phase on American territory.
This campaign, he had only been absent from two PSV matches due to sickness, but may now face an extended period on the sidelines, contingent on his hamstring assessment following Saturday's incident.
With the World Cup approaching in under 100 days, international matches against Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 are rapidly nearing — and Dest has featured just five times for the USMNT since 2023.
Overall, he has scored two goals in 37 international appearances and was in the starting lineup for all four U.S. games during the 2022 World Cup.
USMNT Replacement Options
USMNT Replacement Options
Dest's setback represents a significant challenge for Mauricio Pochettino's plans to establish his optimal defensive formation, particularly considering his effectiveness as a right wingback in the three-defender system that showed potential during the concluding friendlies of 2025.
For the March internationals, the USMNT might consider Tim Weah, who has operated as right back, right wingback, and right midfielder in various roles with Marseille in Ligue 1 this season, or Alex Freeman, who has accumulated three La Liga appearances following his move from MLS club Orlando City.
These two players have been consistent selections under Pochettino, in contrast to another alternative, Joe Scally, who has experienced an inconsistent campaign with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga.
After the March internationals, the USMNT will face Senegal and Germany in May and June to complete World Cup preparations, ahead of the June 12 tournament kickoff against Paraguay in Los Angeles.