USMNT’s Sergiño Dest Injured Again for Barcelona, June Availability in Question

Barcelona’s Sergiño Dest has joined a discouraging trend of U.S. men’s national team standouts suffering late-season injuries with their respective clubs. 

In a 1–0 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, which marked the first time in club history that Barça has lost three straight home games in one season, Dest was subbed off at halftime with a hamstring injury. On Monday, the club confirmed the damage but didn’t give an exact timeframe for his recovery. 

However, multiple Spanish outlets are reporting that the fullback will miss four to six weeks, which would effectively rule Dest out for the season and put his availability for the USMNT’s June camp in serious doubt. 

“Tests carried out on the first team player Sergiño Dest have confirmed that the player has injured the semitendinosus muscle in his right hamstring,” Barcelona tweeted. “The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”

The 21-year-old only recently returned from a hamstring injury that he suffered in March before the last round of World Cup qualifiers. Dest went on to make four appearances for Barça since his return before Sunday’s injury.

Dest joins a growing list of American internationals on the injured list. Last week Hoffenheim defender Chris Richards, on loan from Bayern Munich, sustained a right thigh injury that ruled him out for the season. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna was also ruled out for the season earlier this month after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury that has plagued him all season. 

The U.S. will play two matches in the Concacaf Nations League against Grenada and El Salvador in June along with two friendlies, including one against World Cup-bound Morocco. It is unclear whether Dest will be available to feature for the USMNT in that camp, but if the reports of his diagnosis hold true, he will be cutting it close. The U.S. will have only one other gathering, in September, prior to the 2022 World Cup in November.