World Cup Preview - Group E - Best FPL Tips, Advice, Team News, Picks, and Statistics from Fantasy Football Scout

Player	Team	Price	Progress	Tonight
Calvert-Lewin	LEE	5.6m	102.4%	Very Likely
Rúben	MCI	5.6m	98.2%	Likely
Matheus N.	MCI	5.3m	99.0%	Likely
Van Hecke	BHA	4.5m	99.5%	Likely
Palmer	CHE	10.3m	98.2%	Likely
Gusto	CHE	4.9m	91.9%	Unlikely
Bowen	WHU	7.5m	86.5%	Unlikely
Marc Guiu	CHE	4.2m	85.3%	Unlikely
Watkins	AVL	8.5m	85.8%	Unlikely
Tavernier	BOU	5.5m	76.8%	Unlikely
Gvardiol	MCI	5.9m	79.4%	Unlikely
Truffert	BOU	4.5m	78.5%	Unlikely
Keane	EVE	4.6m	71.1%	Unlikely
Andersen	FUL	4.6m	69.0%	Unlikely
Verbruggen	BHA	4.4m	67.8%	Unlikely
Mitchell	CRY	5.0m	67.5%	Unlikely
Raya	ARS	6.0m	67.2%	Unlikely
Casemiro	MUN	5.5m	67.8%	Unlikely
Livramento	NEW	4.9m	65.5%	Unlikely
Ballard	SUN	4.6m	63.8%	Unlikely
Tete	FUL	4.5m	61.7%	Unlikely
Semenyo	BOU	7.5m	51.3%	Unlikely
Dalot	MUN	4.4m	58.8%	Unlikely
Haaland	MCI	15.0m	56.2%	Unlikely
Dúbravka	BUR	4.0m	56.4%	Unlikely
Petrović	BOU	4.5m	56.2%	Unlikely
Cullen	BUR	5.0m	56.6%	Unlikely
Ekitiké	LIV	8.6m	46.4%	Unlikely
Foden	MCI	8.8m	46.1%	Unlikely
Romero	TOT	5.0m	51.8%	Unlikely
Cash	AVL	4.9m	50.7%	Unlikely
Van den Berg	BRE	4.5m	48.8%	Unlikely
James	CHE	5.6m	48.9%	Unlikely
Flemming	BUR	5.3m	47.8%	Unlikely
Igor Jesus	NFO	5.8m	46.7%	Unlikely
Wilson	FUL	5.6m	37.5%	Unlikely
Pickford	EVE	5.5m	41.6%	Unlikely
Guéhi	CRY	5.3m	38.2%	Unlikely
Dewsbury-Hall	EVE	5.1m	42.4%	Unlikely
Wilson	WHU	5.8m	40.1%	Unlikely

Player	Team	Price	Progress	Tonight
Anthony	BUR	5.3m	110.0%	Very Likely
Minteh	BHA	6.2m	105.4%	Very Likely
Longstaff	LEE	4.9m	103.9%	Very Likely
Nallo	LIV	3.8m	102.7%	Very Likely
Eze	ARS	7.8m	96.1%	Likely
Ndiaye	EVE	6.4m	98.4%	Likely
Muniz	FUL	5.4m	101.0%	Very Likely
Mayenda	SUN	5.3m	100.3%	Very Likely
Rodon	LEE	4.1m	100.6%	Very Likely
Gudmundsson	LEE	3.9m	100.1%	Very Likely
Elanga	NEW	6.6m	99.1%	Maybe
Jordan	BUR	4.0m	99.7%	Maybe
Neave	NEW	4.4m	99.2%	Maybe
Yarmoliuk	BRE	5.0m	94.9%	Maybe
McKenna	BOU	4.0m	95.3%	Maybe
Morgan	BRE	4.4m	94.9%	Unlikely
Balcombe	BRE	4.0m	94.0%	Unlikely
Okafor	LEE	5.5m	94.4%	Unlikely
Lammens	MUN	5.1m	92.2%	Unlikely
Barnes	BUR	4.3m	93.0%	Unlikely
Irving	WHU	4.4m	91.9%	Unlikely
Kulusevski	TOT	6.4m	92.7%	Unlikely
Colwill	CHE	4.8m	92.1%	Unlikely
Bentley	WOL	4.0m	91.6%	Unlikely
Broggio	AVL	4.5m	92.4%	Unlikely
Piroe	LEE	5.0m	91.0%	Unlikely
Tasker	BHA	3.9m	90.6%	Unlikely
Nørgaard	ARS	5.2m	90.2%	Unlikely
Worrall	BUR	3.9m	89.3%	Unlikely
João Pedro	CHE	7.3m	86.7%	Unlikely
McAtee	NFO	5.1m	89.2%	Unlikely
Webster	BHA	4.4m	88.7%	Unlikely
Sels	NFO	4.7m	86.5%	Unlikely
Jair Cunha	NFO	4.3m	87.9%	Unlikely
Benitez	CRY	4.0m	86.7%	Unlikely
Danso	TOT	4.3m	86.0%	Unlikely
Coleman	EVE	4.3m	85.3%	Unlikely
Enzo	CHE	6.6m	82.3%	Unlikely
Bevan	BOU	3.9m	83.9%	Unlikely
Fitzgerald	MUN	4.4m	86.7%	Unlikely

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Raya Martin	ARS	C
No Change	Alisson	LIV	C
No Change	Donnarumma	MCI	C, Sus
Up	Kelleher	BRE	C, Vs
Down	Ramsdale	NEW	C
No Change	Dubravka	BUR	C, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	van Dijk	LIV	C
No Change	Jurriën Timber	ARS	C, Inj
No Change	O’Reilly	MCI	C
Up	Andersen	FUL	C
Up	Marc Guehi	CRY	A
Up	van den Berg	BRE	C, Vs
No Change	Thiaw	NEW	A
No Change	Milenkovic	NFO	C
No Change	van Hecke	BHA	A
No Change	Mukiele	SUN	C, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Saka	ARS	B
No Change	Bruno Fernandes	MUN	A
No Change	Foden	MCI	A
No Change	Semenyo	BOU	C
Up	Szoboszlai	LIV	C
No Change	Minteh	BHA	B
No Change	Bruno Guimarães	NEW	A
No Change	Schade	BRE	C, Vs, Sus
No Change	Anderson	NFO	B, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Haaland	MCI	B
No Change	Thiago	BRE	A, Vs
No Change	Mateta	CRY	C
Up	Ekitiké	LIV	B
Down	Welbeck	BHA	C, Rest
Down	Woltemade	NEW	B

Player	Team	Price	Progress	Tonight
Calvert-Lewin	LEE	5.6m	102.4%	Very Likely
Rúben	MCI	5.6m	98.2%	Likely
Matheus N.	MCI	5.3m	99.0%	Likely
Van Hecke	BHA	4.5m	99.5%	Likely
Palmer	CHE	10.3m	98.2%	Likely
Gusto	CHE	4.9m	91.9%	Unlikely
Bowen	WHU	7.5m	86.5%	Unlikely
Marc Guiu	CHE	4.2m	85.3%	Unlikely
Watkins	AVL	8.5m	85.8%	Unlikely
Tavernier	BOU	5.5m	76.8%	Unlikely
Gvardiol	MCI	5.9m	79.4%	Unlikely
Truffert	BOU	4.5m	78.5%	Unlikely
Keane	EVE	4.6m	71.1%	Unlikely
Andersen	FUL	4.6m	69.0%	Unlikely
Verbruggen	BHA	4.4m	67.8%	Unlikely
Mitchell	CRY	5.0m	67.5%	Unlikely
Raya	ARS	6.0m	67.2%	Unlikely
Casemiro	MUN	5.5m	67.8%	Unlikely
Livramento	NEW	4.9m	65.5%	Unlikely
Ballard	SUN	4.6m	63.8%	Unlikely
Tete	FUL	4.5m	61.7%	Unlikely
Semenyo	BOU	7.5m	51.3%	Unlikely
Dalot	MUN	4.4m	58.8%	Unlikely
Haaland	MCI	15.0m	56.2%	Unlikely
Dúbravka	BUR	4.0m	56.4%	Unlikely
Petrović	BOU	4.5m	56.2%	Unlikely
Cullen	BUR	5.0m	56.6%	Unlikely
Ekitiké	LIV	8.6m	46.4%	Unlikely
Foden	MCI	8.8m	46.1%	Unlikely
Romero	TOT	5.0m	51.8%	Unlikely
Cash	AVL	4.9m	50.7%	Unlikely
Van den Berg	BRE	4.5m	48.8%	Unlikely
James	CHE	5.6m	48.9%	Unlikely
Flemming	BUR	5.3m	47.8%	Unlikely
Igor Jesus	NFO	5.8m	46.7%	Unlikely
Wilson	FUL	5.6m	37.5%	Unlikely
Pickford	EVE	5.5m	41.6%	Unlikely
Guéhi	CRY	5.3m	38.2%	Unlikely
Dewsbury-Hall	EVE	5.1m	42.4%	Unlikely
Wilson	WHU	5.8m	40.1%	Unlikely

Player	Team	Price	Progress	Tonight
Anthony	BUR	5.3m	110.0%	Very Likely
Minteh	BHA	6.2m	105.4%	Very Likely
Longstaff	LEE	4.9m	103.9%	Very Likely
Nallo	LIV	3.8m	102.7%	Very Likely
Eze	ARS	7.8m	96.1%	Likely
Ndiaye	EVE	6.4m	98.4%	Likely
Muniz	FUL	5.4m	101.0%	Very Likely
Mayenda	SUN	5.3m	100.3%	Very Likely
Rodon	LEE	4.1m	100.6%	Very Likely
Gudmundsson	LEE	3.9m	100.1%	Very Likely
Elanga	NEW	6.6m	99.1%	Maybe
Jordan	BUR	4.0m	99.7%	Maybe
Neave	NEW	4.4m	99.2%	Maybe
Yarmoliuk	BRE	5.0m	94.9%	Maybe
McKenna	BOU	4.0m	95.3%	Maybe
Morgan	BRE	4.4m	94.9%	Unlikely
Balcombe	BRE	4.0m	94.0%	Unlikely
Okafor	LEE	5.5m	94.4%	Unlikely
Lammens	MUN	5.1m	92.2%	Unlikely
Barnes	BUR	4.3m	93.0%	Unlikely
Irving	WHU	4.4m	91.9%	Unlikely
Kulusevski	TOT	6.4m	92.7%	Unlikely
Colwill	CHE	4.8m	92.1%	Unlikely
Bentley	WOL	4.0m	91.6%	Unlikely
Broggio	AVL	4.5m	92.4%	Unlikely
Piroe	LEE	5.0m	91.0%	Unlikely
Tasker	BHA	3.9m	90.6%	Unlikely
Nørgaard	ARS	5.2m	90.2%	Unlikely
Worrall	BUR	3.9m	89.3%	Unlikely
João Pedro	CHE	7.3m	86.7%	Unlikely
McAtee	NFO	5.1m	89.2%	Unlikely
Webster	BHA	4.4m	88.7%	Unlikely
Sels	NFO	4.7m	86.5%	Unlikely
Jair Cunha	NFO	4.3m	87.9%	Unlikely
Benitez	CRY	4.0m	86.7%	Unlikely
Danso	TOT	4.3m	86.0%	Unlikely
Coleman	EVE	4.3m	85.3%	Unlikely
Enzo	CHE	6.6m	82.3%	Unlikely
Bevan	BOU	3.9m	83.9%	Unlikely
Fitzgerald	MUN	4.4m	86.7%	Unlikely

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Raya Martin	ARS	C
No Change	Alisson	LIV	C
No Change	Donnarumma	MCI	C, Sus
Up	Kelleher	BRE	C, Vs
Down	Ramsdale	NEW	C
No Change	Dubravka	BUR	C, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	van Dijk	LIV	C
No Change	Jurriën Timber	ARS	C, Inj
No Change	O’Reilly	MCI	C
Up	Andersen	FUL	C
Up	Marc Guehi	CRY	A
Up	van den Berg	BRE	C, Vs
No Change	Thiaw	NEW	A
No Change	Milenkovic	NFO	C
No Change	van Hecke	BHA	A
No Change	Mukiele	SUN	C, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Saka	ARS	B
No Change	Bruno Fernandes	MUN	A
No Change	Foden	MCI	A
No Change	Semenyo	BOU	C
Up	Szoboszlai	LIV	C
No Change	Minteh	BHA	B
No Change	Bruno Guimarães	NEW	A
No Change	Schade	BRE	C, Vs, Sus
No Change	Anderson	NFO	B, £

	Player	Club	Factors
No Change	Haaland	MCI	B
No Change	Thiago	BRE	A, Vs
No Change	Mateta	CRY	C
Up	Ekitiké	LIV	B
Down	Welbeck	BHA	C, Rest
Down	Woltemade	NEW	B

Based on FIFA rankings Group E is the most hazardous in the tournament but in reality it’s surely set to hand Holland an easy passage to the knockout phase. The Dutch go into the Finals off the back of a 100% record in qualifying (admittedly from an easy group) and in superb form at both ends of the pitch. The recent hamstring injury that appears to have sidelined Arjen Robben for at least the group stage is a major blow but even the loss of such a talent shouldn’t put expectations of winning this group at a canter in danger.

Denmark and Cameroon provide the main opposition, with Japan’s tidy possession football perhaps an unfamiliar obstacle rather than a real threat to qualification. They will still have high hopes of troubling their European and African rivals here but much depends on the opening game with Cameroon. Lose that and you can rule Japan out of the equation.

Equally Denmark’s clash with Cameroon will be all-important. Both have suffered stuttering preparations for the Finals and are scratching around for form. That will give hope to Japan but to my mind Samuel Eto’o will decide this group. If he can banish off-the-field demons and translate club form to the World stage then Cameroon will likely have too much for both Japan and a Danish side who appear to facing a number of injury concerns.

From a Fantasy perspective the Dutch are a safe route to returns for this stage and, should they top the group, that would pair them with the runners-up in Group F – most likely Paraguay or Slovakia. That potential second round tie is unlikely to worry the Dutch or would-be Fantasy investors.

Cameroon and Denmark are certainly gambles given that they would likely face the Italians next, although the potential of an Eto’o explosion looks a handy differential that will surely tempt some into a gamble. Italy have hardly sparkled in the tournament warm-ups and any runner-up would fancy their chances if they can gather momentum from this group…

Holland

Things were going so well for the Dutch. They were going into the finals with a 100% record from qualification, and, on paper boasted the best defence in the tournament. On top of that they were on fire in attack – results in the warm-up matches have been superb and included two crushing wins against Ghana (4-1) and Hungary (6-1). The likes of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie were in explosive form and amongst the goals. It all looked good at both ends of the field for coach Bert Van Markwijk then, that was until the late stages of the win over Hungary when Arjen Robben suffered an injury that could potentially wreck his chances of demonstrating his world class credentials in South Africa.

Robben’s hamstring injury comes as a major blow although there is still hope that he will return in time for the knockout phase should the Dutch progress. Should he miss the Finals the repercussions of his absence are likely to be significant – Robben was a major goal threat and had enjoyed a hugely successful season for Bayern Munich having scored a staggering 16 goals in 18 starts. Much will depend on how the Dutch react to losing a player of his stature.

Without Robben, Van Markwijk will likely line up with Dirk Kuyt on the right with Rafael Van der Vaart operating in midfield along with Wesley Sneijder. Nigel De Jong and Marc Van Bommel will provide the solid shield in central areas in front of the back four. That defence will likely consist of Hamburg’s Joris Mathijsen in the centre with Giovanni Van Bronkhorst skippering the side from left-back. The promising Gregory van der Wiel will take the right-back role which just leaves a slight doubt on Mathijsen’s partner. Everton’s Johnny Heitinga looks the most likely to get that spot although the experience Andre Ooijer is another option here.

That all looks solid enough at the back, and even with Robben’s cut and thrust the Dutch boast an array of attacking weapons capable of breaching any defence. Progress as group winners still looks assured but stronger opposition will surely have more success containing Sneijder and Van Persie; that’s when the searing pace and goal threat from Robben will be missed the most.

The Fantasy Targets…

Gregory van der Wiel
If you’re looking for a defensive option amongst the Dutch contingent then Van der Wiel could well offer you a surprisingly cheap route in. He’s a new name for some but the young Ajax right-back has become a regular in Van Marwijk’s side having broken into the lineup at the latter stages of the qualifying campaign. Armed with burst of pace and with strong attacking instincts, we can expect to see Ven der Wiel overlapping on the right-flank to compensate perhaps for Dirk Kuyt’s lack of pace and trickery. Six goals in 34 appearances for Ajax last season also reveals the ability to get on the scoresheet. Joris Mathijsen is your other option at the back – he is likely to be an ever-present so check his price in your game if you’re going Dutch for your defence.

Wesley Sniejder
Sneijder is the heartbeat of this Dutch side and undoubtedly one of the most creative players in the tournament. Having enjoyed a superb season for Inter, the playmaker will start proceedings brimming with confidence. The possessor of an impressive range of passing, Sneijder is also a threat from distance and is dominant from set-plays. Sneijder’s free-kicks will be a major concern to the opposition and his prompting from midfield will surely return a number of assists if the players in front of him start taking chances. His goal and five attempts in the recent 4-1 win over Ghana, followed by another strike in the 6-1 win over Hungary, provides ample evidence that he is set to be a key player if the Dutch are to progress.

Rafael van der Vaart
A member of Holland’s “Fantastic Four”, Van der Vaart’s starting role was far from assured going into the Finals with Robin Van Persie talking out before the tournament on the necessity of the Madrid midfield earning a place in the side. That was expected to be at the cost of Dirk Kuyt although the injury to Robben appears to have changed all that. Van der Vaart should now be a starter in the group stages at least. Although he has previously been reluctant to take up a position wide left, he’s likely to be asked to use his versatility to adopt that role and is in no position to object if he wants to cement his place. Elijero Elia could be a threat then if he fails to adapt but if he can settle in the role then Van der Vaart seems likely to chip in with an assist or two, while his eye for goal was in evidence with a strike in the recent win against the Hungarians.

Eljero Elia
If you’re looking for a risky differential amongst the Dutch squad then Elia could be your man. With Robben sidelined for the group stages, Elia could well get his opportunity if Van Marwijk turns to a pacey replacement for either Van der Vaart or Dirk Kuyt in the starting XI. Elia can operate on either flank and has the pace and power to pose opposition full-backs problems and provide another source of creativity. The Hamburg winger returned 5 goals and 7 assists in his 20 Bundesliga starts last season. He scored in the recent 6-1 demolition of Hungary but again was forced to impress from the bench – should he get his chance in the Finals, he will have to take it.

Robin Van Persie
The Arsenal striker continues the embarrassment of attacking riches available to the Dutch. Van Persie goes into the tournament under the shadow of Sneijder and Robben in terms of form but has demonstrated in the warm-up matches that he has scoring form. With Robben absent through injury, he will be forced to take on greater responsibility in that area. Van Persie’s price tag and question marks over his fitness and stamina after a season dogged by injuries, are factors that will cause Fantasy managers overlook the Gunners striker. However, Van Persie can be relied upon to convert chances for the Dutch and is set to be kept fed by supplies from the flank and from Sniejder’s probing from the middle.

Denmark

The Danes are another side who can be classified as “dark horse” contenders having sneaked quietly under the radar having topped a qualifying group that included Portugal, Sweden and Hungary. While they lack real depth in the squad, Morten Olsen’s side have a solid spine to the team that suggests that they could overcome both Japan and Cameroon to progress to the knockout stages. A tough and physically imposing outfit, Denmark will cause defences plenty of problems, particularly from set-pieces.

The defence, marshaled by an excellent pairing in Daniel Agger and the emerging Simon Kjaer put up a resolute barrier throughout the qualifiers. Only the Dutch conceded fewer goals going into the tournament. However, that solid unit has been disrupted. Kjaer suffered suspected knee ligament damage in the recent friendly win over Senegal. Concerns have subsided by Kjaer is still a doubt for the opener. That will will likely see Per Kroldrup of Fiorentina come into the starting lineup, at least for the first game.

The midfield will be bossed by the considerable presence of the experienced Christian Poulsen. Either side of him there will be pressure on the wide men – two of Lars Jorgensen, Jesper Gronkjaer and the ageing Dennis Rommedahl – to provide effective supply from wide areas, although Olsen has the potential of Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen to turn to once legs tire. Should the supply of crosses be plentiful, the Danes have Nicklas Bendtner to arrive on the end of them – we know all too well what a lottery that can be but Bendtner is potential personified. The vastly experienced head of Jon Dahl Tomasson will likely be alongside him to steady the ship.

Form going into the tournament will be a concern and will hearten their group rivals. The 2-0 victory over Senegal was duly followed by 1-0 defeats to both Australia and hosts South Africa so Olsen will have to work on restoring confidence. If the Dutch hand out a hiding in the group opener, Denmark could be up against it going into their next game with Cameroon although currently Olsen is considering gambling on keeping both Kjaer and Bendtner out of the Dutch game; both are troubled by injuries and will be vital for the two remaining matches.

The Fantasy Targets…

Daniel Agger
The most recognisable name in the Danish back four, Agger brings pace and power to the party and will be a crucial factor in his side’s aspirations for knockout qualification. In Fantasy terms he offers the biggest goal threat amongst the defenders with a sledgehammer of a shot in his armoury, but his familiarity counts against him and you’re likely to be paying that little bit extra compared to his teammates at the back.

Simon Kjaer
The 21-year-old Palermo defender is your alternative to Agger if you’re looking to save pennies. Kjaer is likely to come in under Agger’s price but potentially will be no less influential in Denmark’s campaign despite having just 8 caps to his name. Strong in the challenge and with a decent touch for a big man, the “Danish Talent of the Year” 2009 gained notoriety before qualifier with Portugal in September by claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo should be stopped by “a series of small fouls and one hard tackle.” If anything that makes him all the more endearing. Sadly a knee injury prior to the tournament has put him in doubt for the opener agianst Holland.

Christian Poulsen
The Juventus man will provide the protection for the Danish back four and his vast experience will be crucial to the cause. Tough and uncompromising, Poulsen’s temperament and his disciplinary record is a key concern and given his role and limited attacking potential, he is only likely to be a consideration in Fantasy Games as a budget purchase where Man of the Match bonus points come into play.

Christien Ericksen
The 18-year-old Ajax midfielder will be the youngest player in the World Cup and is undoubtedly a long-shot in Fantasy terms having played just 11 senior matches in his career. However, Eriksen is a prospect who has the potential to make an impact if he is given the opportunity. Two-footed with a sizable box of tricks, he has inevitably been compared to Michael Laudrup in his playing style and can be used on either flank. Unlikely to break into the Danish starting XI from the off, Eriksen will be a trump card from the bench who could establish himself if he sparkles.

Nicklas Bendtner
Much will be expected of the Arsenal striker but then he only has himself to blame for that. Self-proclaimed as having the potential to be one of the best strikers in the world, Denmark will be looking to Bendtner to deliver goals. Morten Olsen will get his wide men to deliver plenty of ammunition to both Bendtner, but we have seen only last season that the Gunners striker can often need several bites at the cherry to convert. Nonetheless he has the tools to do the damage – pace, power and an aerial threat – he is a consideration in the low-to-mid price bracket. Bendtner trained alone earlier today with a thigh problem troubling him – he could well miss out against the Dutch then and preserved for the Cameroon and Japan encounters.

Cameroon

The highest ranked African nation in the tournament and boasting one of the best strikers in World football in Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon will be expected to make an impact at the tournament but could be found out by the strength and organisation of the two European qualifiers in their group.

Current form is not favourable. Coach Paul Le Guen has only recently remarked how the “Indomitable Lions” must improve their form if they are to harbour any ambitions to scramble into the knockout stages. A 3-1 defeat to a far from in-form Portuguese side last Tuesday did little to restore confidence in the camp after a disappointing African Cup of Nations in which they were knocked out in the last eight by eventual winners Egypt.

Cameroon do have talent however – goalkeeper Carlos Kemeni of Espanyol is acknowledged as one of the finest in La Liga while the Premier League experience of Tottenham’s Sebastian Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto provide solidity at the back alongside the promising Nicolas Nkoulou. Then of course the midfield boasts the substantial power and pace of Arsenal’s Alex Song and Lyon’s Jean Makoun. In front of them we have Eto’o who will surely find himself on many a Fantasy shortlist pre-tournament. As mentioned, his form will likely decide the outcome of the group.

The Fantasy Targets…

Carlos Kemeni
Don’t expect clean sheets from the Espanyol man but if you’re looking for a budget keeper to provide save points then Kemeni is certainly a contender. A certain starter and an inspirational figure in the side, Kemeni’s form is almost as important to Cameroon’s cause as that of Eto’o up front.

Nicolas Nkoulou
Nkoulou will be new name to many and could well be available as a very cheap option as a result. The young Monaco defender is part of the new generation and has replaced the legendary Rigobert Song in the back four. Although not the biggest of defenders, Nkoulou is fast in the tackle who rarely shirks a challenge. A likely target for top European clubs, he will be looking to the tournament as a springboard to seal a summer move.

Archille Emana
While Alex Song and Jean Makoun provide defensive cover from midfield, Emana is the playmaker buzzing around them and charged with providing the creativity and goal threat. Although an inconsistent performer, he has the talent and athleticism to be a factor and arrives in South Africa having scored 10 goals in 24 starts for Real Betis last season.

Pierre Webo
Webo’s form in the warm-up matches has suddenly thrust him into the limelight and his brace in the 4-3 defeat to Serbia surely put a seal on his starting role. The Real Mallorca striker has the workrate and physical presence to provide the perfect foil to Eto’o and his form suggests that he could be a decent budget purchase for the opening two matches against Japan and Denmark.

Samuel Eto’o
Controversially made skipper by Le Guen, the Inter marksman has at times, failed to live up to the responsibility – typified by his red card in the recent warm-up match with Portugal which saw him miss the 4-3 defeat to Serbia. Le Guen is hopeful that his striker can find focus once the Finals are underway however and there’s no doubting the striker’s credentials as a goal-getter. Twelve strikes in 27 starts in Serie A last term, followed an incredible return of 30 goals in 34 starts for Barcelona before that. Added to that Eto’o has 44 goals in his 96 international appearances – and yet his form has still sparked claims from Cameroon legend Roger Mila that Eto’o has failed to translate his club form to the international stage. The Inter man is undoubtedly World Class and these finals will give him the chance to silence his critics.

Japan

With coach Takeshi Okada stating that he is aiming to make the semi-finals, pressure on the Japan squad has slowly built as the tournament has drawn ever closer. Those ambitions are surely beyond this side and yet there’s no doubting that they do have talent within their ranks, as the recent friendly with England highlighted.

Technically Japan are superb – only the very best sides in the world retain possession more effectively and their midfield is packed full of skilled players with instant control and silky passing skills. A cutting edge is lacking however and often Japan can be criticised for shifting the ball around for long periods without an end product. This is perpetuated by Okada’s decision to set up the side up in a 4-2-3-1 in an attempt to maximise the midfield talent available to him. The counter-attack and direct free-kicks around the box will be Japan’s most effective attacking ploys and they will likely form their tactics around them.

Shunsake Nakamura is the jewell in the intricate crown – the former Celtic man will be at the hub of things and his left foot at set-pieces will be key to Japan’s ambitions. Alongside him Okada must look to harness the talents of Yasuhito Endo and Keisuke Honda, who will likely be pushed up in support of the lone striker. That role will likely go to Okazaki – another young talent of whom much is expected back home.

Meanwhile SkipperYuji Nakazawa and centre-back partner Marcus Tulio Tanaka provide the spine of an organised defence. Both were on the scoresheet in the 2-1 defeat against England at the wrong end but both are a threat at for opposition at set-plays. They shared six goals in the qualification stages but even those returns are unlikely to attract Fantasy interest with Van Persie, Eto’o and Bendtner lying in wait for them.

The Fantasy Targets…

Keisuke Honda
The CSKA Moscow star was the first Japanese player to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League as well as the first to score in the knock-out stages when he helped his side to victory over Seville last year. He has the hunger to impress on the big stage then. This goalscoring playmaker is the rising star of this Japanese side and much is expected of him for this tournament. Having lived in the shadow of Nakamura, the Finals could well see him emerge as the driving force and central figure in their campaign.

Yasuhito Endo
The 2009 Asian Player of the Year is a supremely versatile midfielder, blessed with a strong physique and a superb range of passing he is a player who can operate as a creator or destroyer in midfield areas. A set-piece specialist, he will share those duties with Shunsake Nakamura.

Shunsuke Nakamura
The former Celtic man has maintained his role as the lynchpin of the side, despite suffering a miserable season with Espanyol which eventually saw him transferred back to Japan to join J-League club Yokohama Marinos. Although he lacks the power of a box to box midfielder, his sublime control and almost peerless passing skills make him a huge talent. His free-kicks meanwhile are nothing less that world class and they could well be Japan’s match-winning ploy.

Shinji Okazaki
Japan’s great hope up front, Okazaki will have the pressure on him to lead the line ahead of the five man midfield. His form going into the tournament is good having struck 16 goals in 24 games for the national side – a tally which includes back-to-back hat-tricks against Hong Kong and Togo last year. A budget option to consider if you fancy Japan to convert possession into goals against the Danes and Cameroon.

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