COLOMBIA – Davinson Sanchez
Already a Premier League star after an excellent debut season in England, Sanchez is still to fully make the grade at international level. Has nine caps, but is likely to be trusted by Jose Pekerman to form a central defensive partnership with Yerry Mina. There won’t be many younger pairings than Sanchez (22) and Mina (23).
SENEGAL – Ismaila Sarr
Keita Balde is just too experienced to get the nod, but Sarr could be Senegal’s suber-sub in Russia. He’s already getting admiring glances from outside France after impressing at Rennes alongside international teammates Diafra Sakho and Abdoulaye Diallo having reportedly turned down an approach from Barcelona. Only turned 20 in February, so potentially quite a talent.
POLAND – Dawid Kownacki
Is never going to start given the presence of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, but Kownacki moved to Sampdoria last summer from Lech Poznan and is highly rated in Italy. Won his first league title in Poland and inevitably struggled under the weight of the ‘new Lewandowski’ tag, but is a possible game changer from the bench. Has played almost 150 senior career games despite only turning 21 in March.
JAPAN – Naomichi Ueda
Both the youngest player in Japan’s squad and the player with the least number of caps, Ueda is a European-style central defender (pacy, powerful, good in the air) of whom Japan expects big things. Still playing in his home country, a successful tournament might accelerate a move to Europe. A successful tournament might just be avoiding finishing bottom of Group H.