On the same day he was omitted from Gregg Berhalter’s latest USMNT roster, Barcelona clarified that Sergiño Dest is suffering from a back problem that will keep him off of the field for the time being.
Despite being a lock starter for the Bluagrana as of late, the American was dropped to the bench for their 1-0 over Dynamo Kiev in Champions League action on Tuesday night. The Spanish press reported that this was due to a back problem, which was confirmed by the club on Thursday afternoon.
“The first team player Sergiño Dest has lower back pain. He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return,” Barcelona announced on their website.
The American has been one of the more dependable performers for the team so far this season, playing close to 900 minutes while appearing in all 11 of their league games, ten of those in the starting lineup, and playing the full 90 minutes in their two Champions League games prior to Wednesday’s win over the Ukrainians.
While the injury does come at an inopportune time for his American teammates, as he will miss the home qualifier against Mexico and the subsequent trip to Jamaica, this also means that he won’t be available for Barcelona’s Saturday afternoon trip to Celta Vigo, as they try to revive what has been a lagging campaign beset with injuries, coaching drama and overall substandard play.
Joining Dest on the sidelines is the attacker Ousmane Dembélé, who had only recently returned from a longer injury lay-off only to suffer a hamstring issue on Wednesday, and summer signing Sergio Aguero, who is out for some time due to a cardiac issue.
Barring any complications that keep him out for the long-term, Dest’s likely return will be following the international break, on November 21 when they face city rivals Espanyol in this season’s first El derbi Barceloní.
