USMNT defender Sergino Dest has allayed concerns over his fitness and declared himself ready for a World Cup opener against Wales.
Dest is head coach Gregg Berhalter’s first choice at right-back but the AC Milan man has had limited playing time in the build-up to the tournament.
The 22-year-old played just 34 minutes against Fiorentina in the final Serie A game before Qatar, having missed the previous two games with what Milan described as “adductor fatigue”.
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But, facing the media ahead of Monday’s group B clash after a modified training session earlier in the week, Dest said: “I’m feeling, personally, feeling good.
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“Of course, after the last game I had a little bit of fatigue. Right now, it’s going well, I’m ready to play with the team. We’re really hyped for the game, we’re all really concentrated. The game against Wales is really important, we’re going to get everything out there.”
Weston McKennie had also been sidelined with a recent thigh injury but has been in full training with his team-mates to hand Berhalter a further boost.
“I came in good,” the midfielder said. “I came in at a pace that was controlled by Juventus and the national team; they were both working together to make sure I was 100 percent here, so I came in and did a couple of days of just maintaining and keeping it under control.
“We played the friendly (with Al-Gharafa SC) the other day, I felt good, felt ready to go and that’s where I’m at.”
Berhalter has not yet named a permanent captain for a United States side back at the World Cup for the first time in eight years but McKennie believes collective leadership will stand them in good stead.
“This team, we’re such a group, (we have) such good chemistry,” he added.
“We’ve talked about it before, every single player on this team has responsibility, every player on this team can hold each other accountable.
“If you’re wondering if maybe I should do this, or should I do that, you can go to anyone on this team. In our minds, everyone can be a leader at any given point when they’re called upon.
“None of us knowing who the captain is OK with us. We’re not a group of guys that’s like, ‘Oh, I want to be captain, I want to be captain.’ It’s like whoever has it, has it.
“The mission is still the same, the goal is still the same and we just need all 26 players no matter the role to be on the same page and have the same goal at the end of the day, which is to compete and win games.”
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After their Wales opener, the USMNT face England on November 25, before finishing their group campaign against Iran on November 29.
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Touring the German town where Weston McKennie learned to play soccer
(Photo: Getty Images)
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