USMNT's Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest Cleared from Injuries for World Cup Opener

Two key members of the United States men's national team, midfielder Weston McKennie and right back Sergiño Dest, declared themselves available for selection ahead of Monday's 2022 FIFA World Cup opener against Wales.

ESPN's Jeff Carlisle reported Saturday that McKennie overcame a quad injury and Dest worked through muscle fatigue to reach full fitness for the USMNT in Qatar.

"Juventus and the national team, they were both working together to make sure that I'm 100 percent fit here," McKennie said. "So I came in, did a couple days of just maintaining and keep it under control. We played the friendly the other day, and I felt good. I felt ready to go, and that's where I'm at."

Dest added: "I'm feeling good. Of course, after the last game [for AC Milan], I had a little bit of fatigue. Right now, it's going well. I'm ready to play."

Both players figure to play prominent roles for the Americans during the group stage, though head coach Gregg Berhalter has more flexibility in the midfield should they want to remain cautious with McKennie.

The U.S. has four strong options to fill the three midfield slots in what will likely be a 4-3-3 formation: McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah and Brenden Aaronson. Gio Reyna could also factor into the discussion despite being listed as a forward.

If Dest is unavailable at any point, the USMNT would likely have to lean on either Shaq Moore or Joe Scally to fill the void on the right side of the defense.

As it stands, here's how the starting XI could look against Wales:

• GK: Matt Turner
• LB: Antonee Robinson
• CB: Tim Ream
• CB: Walker Zimmerman
• RB: Sergiño Dest
• DM: Tyler Adams
• CM: Weston McKennie
• CM: Yunus Musah
• LW: Christian Pulisic
• ST: Josh Sargent
• RW: Timothy Weah

Berhalter could also opt to play Pulisic or Reyna as a false nine, which would leave the side without a true striker in the lineup but also put the 11 most talented players on the field from the start.

The other key question is who will start alongside Zimmerman in central defense. Aaron Long received a lot of criticism for his lackluster play during the qualifying campaign and September friendlies, which should open the door for Ream.

It's a crucial opener for the United States, which could significantly boost its odds of reaching the knockout stages with a win over Wales as part of a competitive Group B headlined by England and also featuring defensively strong Iran.

"We know that it's going to be a hard game," McKennie said. "But we definitely want to win the first game, to come out with three points. [It's been] just three, four years of just working up to this moment, I think all the guys are ready to go, and the staff is ready to go and put a game plan together. So hopefully we execute that."

On the flip side, a loss on Monday would leave a narrow path out of the pool with a highly anticipated showdown against the Three Lions looming on Friday.

After missing the 2018 tournament, an early exit in Qatar would be a massive setback for an American program trying to establish a golden era in men's soccer ahead of co-hosting the next World Cup in 2026.