United States defender Sergiño Dest suffered a noticeable hamstring injury and had to leave the field during PSV Eindhoven‘s 2-1 victory against AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday. His availability for the national team’s upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal is now uncertain.
During the match, Dest clutched his left hamstring and grimaced in pain after falling while pursuing Alkmaar’s Wouter Goes in the second half. He was substituted in the 57th minute and required assistance from two medical staff to leave the pitch, unable to bear weight on his left leg.
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“He landed hard after a full sprint and grabbed his hamstring. That’s typically not a good sign,” commented PSV coach Peter Bosz.
The U.S. is set to host Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 as warm-up matches leading up to the World Cup, which they will co-host with Mexico and Canada in June and July.
At 25 years old, Dest has scored two goals in 37 international matches and was a starter in all four of the U.S. games during the 2022 World Cup.
Dest joined PSV from Barcelona but missed almost 11 months due to an ACL tear he suffered in April 2024, which ruled him out of that year’s Copa América.
If Dest cannot participate in the World Cup, versatile Juventus player Tim Weah, currently on loan to Marseille, could step in to fill his role. Other potential replacements include Alex Freeman and Joe Scally.
In the same match, American forward Ricardo Pepi netted the winning goal for PSV in the 86th minute. This marked his 10th league goal this season and his 13th across all competitions, having scored in three matches since returning from a broken arm sustained in January.
“I’m really pleased to be back on the pitch for a full 90 minutes and to have scored,” Pepi expressed. “It feels great to contribute to this crucial home victory.” He added, “This season has been tough with injuries, but I remained patient and persevered.”
Contributions from the Associated Press were included in this report.