With the World Cup three months away, coaches are praying to the soccer gods that key players get through the duration of club seasons without significant injury.

U.S. boss Mauricio Pochettino on Saturday was reminded of the delicate nature of personnel that’s out of his control when his top right back, Sergiño Dest, clutched his left hamstring early in the second half and departed PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar.

His Dutch club did not immediately set a recovery timetable, but Dest is sure to miss the U.S. friendlies this month against Belgium and Portugal — the last camp before Pochettino names his World Cup squad May 26.

Dest, who missed the 2024 Copa América with an ACL tear, expressed optimism about returning before the Eredivisie season ends May 17.

“I’m out for a little while to do what I love the most,” he wrote on Instagram. “But one thing for sure this is NOT the end of the season! I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that I’m coming back asap on the right timing.”

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PSV coach Peter Bosz said, “He landed on the ground after a full sprint and grabbed his hamstring. That’s usually not good news.”

Dest was enjoying a fine league season with 24 starts and the fourth-most minutes on the first-place club (22-2-2). He has a goal and four assists while registering PSV’s sixth-best analytical rating. He also started five Champions League matches.

Although Dest’s clever ball skills are largely unmatched in the U.S. program, Pochettino does have quality options. Tim Weah, an attacking winger for Pochettino, typically plays right back or right wing for Olympique Marseille.

Alex Freeman — a U.S. revelation last year who this winter joined Villarreal from Orlando City — has similar positional strengths, while Joe Scally, an unused member of the 2022 World Cup team, is a natural right back.

In the final World Cup run-up, the Americans will open camp May 27 at the new national training center near Atlanta and play friendlies against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. The Group D opener is June 12 vs. Paraguay in Inglewood, California.

Before Dest’s injury, the team was in relatively good health. Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna (knee) has yet to make his 2026 debut and Fulham left back Antonee Robinson isn’t starting regularly after recovering from an ankle ailment.

Celtic center back Cameron Carter-Vickers remains out after rupturing an Achilles’ tendon in the fall but was far from a World Cup certainty.

Here’s how USMNT candidates performed over the weekend:

England

Striker Haji Wright (77 minutes) maintained his scoring tear, posting a goal in first-half stoppage time as second-division frontrunner Coventry City won at Bristol City, 2-0. By scoring in his third consecutive match, the Los Angeles native now boasts six goals in his past five appearances and remains second in league scoring with 16 goals.

Forward Patrick Agyemang (75 minutes) went scoreless for the fourth straight match as Derby County defeated relegation-bound Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1, to remain three points behind Wrexham for the final promotion playoff berth.

Central midfielder Aidan Morris played 90 as Middlesbrough routed Queens Park Rangers, 4-0, to remain four points in front of Millwall for the second Premier League promotion.

In the FA Cup’s round of 16, Robinson remained on the bench for Fulham’s 1-0 loss to second-flight Southampton — he has sat out four of the past six matches — while midfielder Brenden Aaronson did not play in Leeds’ 3-0 cup romp over second-tier Norwich City.

Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards and Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams had the weekend off.

Italy

Forward Christian Pulisic came off in the 83rd minute and, although his scoring rut swelled to 10 Serie A matches, he was lively and engaged in AC Milan’s 1-0 victory over Inter Milan — a derby result that pulled his second-place club within seven points of front-running Inter with 10 games left.

The extraordinarily versatile Weston McKennie started on the right flank, floated into the middle and spent time up top during sixth-place Juventus’ 4-0 victory over bottom-dwelling Pisa.

After scoring as a sub in consecutive Atalanta matches, midfielder Yunus Musah was pulled at halftime of a 2-2 draw with Udinese — his first Serie A start since Jan. 16. Atalanta will host Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League’s round of 16.

In the second tier, Cesena goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann posted his fifth clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at Modena.

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France

Wright isn’t the only U.S. striker in great form: In his 100th Ligue 1 appearance, Folarin Balogun assisted in the 27th minute and scored from distance in the 73rd during Monaco’s 3-1 upset at frontrunning Paris Saint-Germain. He has five goals in the past five matches, pushed his Ligue 1 total to seven and increased his overall haul to 13.

Midfielder Tanner Tessmann made his 19th league start, coming off midway through the second half of Lyon’s 1-1 draw with Paris FC — its fourth consecutive winless outing since going unbeaten in 13.

Weah and Toulouse center back Mark McKenzie played 90 minutes apiece in Marseille’s 1-0 away victory.

Germany

Ahead of Bayer Leverkusen’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Arsenal on Wednesday, midfielder Malik Tillman continued working back from an ankle injury by entering in the 66th minute of a 3-3 draw at Freiburg.

Scally played 90 for Mönchengladbach, which played with 10 men for 35 minutes and lost to first-place Bayern Munich, 4-1. Scally’s teammate, midfielder Gio Reyna, didn’t play. He has logged just 26 minutes in two appearances in 2026.

Center back Noahkai Banks went 84 minutes in Augsburg’s 2-1 loss at RB Leipzig, while central midfielder James Sands played 81 in St. Pauli’s 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.

In the second division, left back John Tolkin played all of 10-man Holstein Kiel’s 2-0 loss at Darmstadt. His club is winless in eight straight, plunging it into relegation danger.

Spain

Midfielder Johnny Cardoso’s string of four consecutive starts ended with a 29-minute run in third-place Atlético Madrid’s 3-2 triumph over Real Sociedad. Atleti will host Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday in the Champions League’s round of 16.

Freeman didn’t play in fourth-place Villarreal’s 2-1 win over Elche, the third consecutive match without any playing time. He has received just 31 minutes over seven matches.

Netherlands

In his first start since Dec. 21, striker Ricardo Pepi scored the winning goal in the 86th minute for PSV Eindhoven. The Texan increased his league total to 10 and overall count to 13.

Scotland

In a Scottish Cup quarterfinal marred by fans storming the pitch, center back Auston Trusty played all 120 minutes and converted in the shootout as Celtic won at archrival Rangers, 4-2, in the tiebreaker following a 2-2 draw.

MLS

All three of Vancouver’s U.S. candidates scored in the Whitecaps’ 4-1 rout at Portland: Striker Brian White struck in the 21st and 87th minutes, while midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and center back Tristan Blackmon scored in the 64th and 49th, respectively. Berhalter also had an assist.

Goalkeepers Matt Freese (New York City FC), Chris Brady (Chicago) and Patrick Schulte (Columbus) recorded clean sheets, while Matt Turner (New England) was off.

Charlotte center back Tim Ream, Cincinnati center back Miles Robinson, Columbus left wing Max Arfsten and Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan went 90 minutes. Charlotte midfielder Luca de la Torre assisted as a sub, while LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman played 70 minutes.

Mexico

Winger Alex Zendejas assisted on Club America’s first goal in a 2-1 win at Queretaro before leaving in the 59th minute to prepare for the Concacaf Champions Cup’s round of 16 first leg Tuesday at Philadelphia.

Since its launch 30 years ago, Major League Soccer has made substantial contributions to the U.S. World Cup effort. The number of players invited to the carnival has varied with each four-year cycle, and with coach Mauricio Pochettino less than three months from naming the 26-man roster, several candidates from the home circuit are again well-positioned to make the cut.

Throughout his tenure, Pochettino has said adamantly that MLS employment would not handicap anyone and performance for both country and club, irrespective of the league, would help determine selections.

The majority of the World Cup squad will come from European leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands because, after all, that’s where most of the best Americans work.

So where does the MLS legion stand?

Since making his international debut last June, New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese has solidified his hold atop the depth chart by starting — and largely playing well — the last 12 matches of 2025. New England’s Matt Turner, the 2022 World Cup starter, seems certain to remain the primary back-up, with Columbus’ Patrick Schulte, a 2024 Olympian, or Chicago’s Chris Brady probably filling out the keeper corps.

Columbus wing back Max Arfsten, 24, was one of several newcomers who proved their worth last year, tying Freese for the most starts (13) and showing capacity to step in on the left flank for oft-injured starter Antonee Robinson.

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As a fixture on the backline, center back Tim Ream seems all but locked into a roster slot, if not a starting job. But at 38, he is showing cracks, most recently Saturday during a terrible first half in Charlotte’s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Ream played every minute at the 2022 World Cup and appeared to enter a transitional phase this cycle, offering experience and leadership until less-seasoned players found their international footing. Last year, though, Pochettino used him for more minutes than any other non-goalkeeper.

Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, 24, was a 2025 revelation with his set-piece acuity, tenacity and smarts. While not certain of making the final cut, it would be hard to see Pochettino leaving him behind.

The same might be said about Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, 22, who crashed the party last year with the most production (four goals, four assists) in a team-high 17 appearances. However, a knee injury has sidelined him at the start of the season and could jeopardize his availability for training camp later this month — the last gathering before the World Cup squad is named in late May.

In Seattle’s Cristian Roldan, a 30-year-old midfielder who returned to the mix in the fall, Pochettino has a “glue guy” — someone to impart wisdom, strengthen the locker room and, when called upon, do the dirty work. Roldan scored on a header in Seattle’s 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Among others in contention: Cincinnati center back Miles Robinson, who started three consecutive U.S. matches in the fall; Vancouver center back Tristan Blackmon, the MLS defender of the year; Charlotte midfielder Luca de la Torre; and forward Josh Sargent, who hopes his move to Toronto from England’s Norwich City last week will rekindle his darkening outlook.

The European weekend roundup …

England

Striker Haji Wright continued pocketing goals as part of Coventry City’s surge toward Premier League promotion, scoring in the 12th minute of a 2-1 victory over Stoke City.

He has scored five times in four matches for 16 overall this season, and his 15 goals in the English Championship are second, one off the lead. After a winter rut, Coventry has rebuilt an eight-point lead over Middlesbrough, which will visit Birmingham City on Monday with midfielder Aidan Morris expected to start. Two clubs will move up.

The other U.S. scorer in the second flight, Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang, went scoreless for the third consecutive match, a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. He has 10 goals and three assists this season.

In the Premier League, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams went 62 minutes in his second straight start before coming off after a yellow card had been reviewed for a red. The 1-1 draw with Sunderland extended the Cherries’ unbeaten run to eight (4-0-4).

Leeds midfielder Brenden Aaronson logged 65 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Manchester City, extending the winless streak to four (0-1-3). Center back Chris Richards went the distance in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 loss at Manchester United, while left back Antonee Robinson, recovering from an ankle ailment, didn’t play in Fulham’s 2-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.

Italy 

Christian Pulisic has gone nine straight matches over two months without a goal following a faulty, 78-minute performance Sunday in second-place AC Milan’s 2-0 victory at Cremonese.

Four days after a stirring comeback and dramatic Champions League elimination, Weston McKennie and sixth-place Juventus came from two goals down late at Roma for a 3-3 draw. For the fifth consecutive match, the American midfielder went the distance. He missed a good chance on a first-half header, but his header off a stoppage-time free kick set up the late equalizer.

Midfielder Yunus Musah, a second-half sub for seventh-place Atalanta, scored in the 88th minute of a 2-1 loss at 10-man Sassuolo — his first club goal since the 2021-22 season with Valencia.

In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena drew at Empoli, 1-1, extending the winless streak to four and six of seven.

Germany

Center back Noahkai Banks’ ascent continued with a terrific run and sterling assist during Augsburg’s 2-0 victory over Koln, his 17th consecutive Bundesliga start for which he was available. Winner of three straight, Augsburg is 5-1-2 in the past eight outings and up to ninth place.

Banks, who was in U.S. camp in September, could make his national team debut this month against Belgium or Portugal in Atlanta, but with dual citizenship, he said he has left the door open to representing Germany.

Recovered from injury, midfielder Gio Reyna was in a Mönchengladbach uniform for the first time since Jan. 17 but didn’t play in a 1-0 win over Union Berlin. Teammate Joe Scally, a right wing back, played 90.

Midfielder James Sands played the whole match as St. Pauli won at Hoffenheim, 1-0, for its third in four matches after going eight straight winless.

Midfielder Malik Tillman (ankle) remained sidelined for Bayer Leverkusen, which drew at Mainz, 1-1, for its third straight match without a victory.

In the second division, left back John Tolkin went the whole way in Holstein Kiel’s 1-1 draw with Elversberg, extending its winless skid to seven.

France

Monaco striker Folarin Balogun posted his fourth goal in four matches, breaking a scoreless tie early in the second half of a 2-0 win over Angers. He increased his Ligue 1 total to six and his overall count to 12.

In a clash between top-four clubs, right back Tim Weah (85 minutes) and Olympique Marseille rallied for two late goals at home to knock off midfielder Tanner Tessmann (90) and Lyon, 3-2.

In his 19th Ligue 1 start, Toulouse center back Mark McKenzie played 90 in a 1-0 loss at Rennes.

Spain

After scoring in the Champions League early in the week, midfielder Johnny Cardoso went 61 quality minutes in third-place Atlético Madrid’s 1-0 victory at Real Oviedo. On Tuesday, his club will take a 4-0 lead into the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal at Barcelona.

Since arriving from Orlando City about a month ago, right back Alex Freeman remains in the shadows at Villarreal with three appearances totaling 31 minutes. He didn’t play in a 4-1 loss at first-place Barcelona on Saturday.

Netherlands

Ricardo Pepi’s six-game scoring streak in the Eredivisie ended after playing the second half of first-place PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 victory at Heracles. Right back Sergiño Dest went 90 minutes for the fourth time in a row.

Others

In Mexico, Club America winger Alex Zendejas (adductor) wasn’t in uniform against Tigres, leaving him with just two appearances totaling 106 minutes over three months because of injuries and the winter break.

In Scotland, center back Auston Trusty missed Celtic’s 2-2 draw at archrival Rangers because of a red-card suspension.