USMNT and Barcelona defender Sergino Dest will miss the upcoming round of World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Jamaica after picking up a back injury while on club duty. He has not been included in the 25-player roster named by coach Gregg Berhalter as a result.
The 21-year old, who was expected to feature in Barcelona’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kiev, sat as an unused substitute instead as a result of his recent lesion.
Barcelona have confirmed that the right-back will also miss Saturday’s trip to Celta Vigo.
“Dest has lower back pain,” the club said in a statement on Thursday. “He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”
The news comes as a hard blow for the US men’s national team after the La Liga defender played an integral part in their success against Mexico during the 2021 summer tournaments.
Until his knock, Dest had been playing regularly for Barcelona this season. He completed 13 appearances in all competitions and stood as a right winger in the recent weeks.
The USMNT must now face North American rivals and CONCACAF group leaders Mexico on November 13 without Dest, among several other injured players.
In addition to Dest, Gio Reyna, a crucial figure for the USMNT, will not feature for the American side during the November qualifiers after suffering from a hamstring issue.
Tyler Adams, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, Jordan Pefok and Weston McKennie, on the other hand, are all one yellow card away from a one-match suspension, and given the already limited number of players available, losing just one could alter the lineup entirely.
Players will report to the team on November 8 to begin camp prior to the decisive qualifiers against Mexico and Jamaica.
The American side currently in second place on the table with 11 points in six matches and a record of 3-2-1. The USMNT had a rocky start to the late 2021 qualifiers, struggling against El Salvador and Panama early on.