AC Milan leave USA defender Sergino Dest OUT of squad for Champions League knockout stage as he struggles for playing time… with the right-back replaced by centre-back Malick Thiaw
AC Milan will not involve American right-back Sergiño Dest in their upcoming UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches against Tottenham Hotspur.
The US international has struggled with playing time since moving from Barcelona to Milan on loan this summer.
Dest started in the club’s 3–0 defeat to Chelsea in the group stage and has 98 minutes played over three other matches.
It’s been a struggle for Dest to try and disrupt the starting spot. Club captain Davide Calabria has locked himself in at right back.
The same goes for the Serie A competition, where Dest has many second-half appearances but only two starts.
Sergiño Dest was omitted from AC Milan’s Champions League squad ahead of the Round of 16
He will be replaced by 21-year-old central defender Malick Thiaw – who also arrived earlier this year
Dest played for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – he started every match as the Americans exited the group stage before falling to the Netherlands.
In his place comes center back Malick Thiaw on the roster, with the 21-year-old being seen as more versatile than Dest.
Elsewhere in the squad, timeless wonder Zlatan Ibrahimovic was left off the squad as the 41-year-old continues to recover from knee surgery this summer.
Fans of I Rossoneri hopes that the club will get past the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.
Since then, the club has participated in three Champions League tournaments. They fell to Barcelona in the 2012–13 Round of 16 and Atletico Madrid at the same stage the following season. They failed to reach the group stage last season.
Besides Dest, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be in the squad as he recovers from surgery
