Matchday 4 of FIFA Club World Cup Fantasy is nearing, so it’s time to once again look at some players with Scouting Bonus potential.

As we mentioned in our strategy piece, it’s now very difficult to find real quality differentials. We’ve now got a smaller pool of players to choose from, with the group of teams we’re targeting much narrower, too.

Arda Guler ($6.5m) is the only one of our Scout Picks who qualifies for Scouting Bonus, indeed. Even then, he will probably rise above the 5% mark come Matchday 4.

Really, it’s questionable whether you’d want too many differentials at all now. In the group stage, it was eminently possible to put together a Fantasy team and have eight, nine or more players eligible for Scouting Bonus without sacrificing the overall quality of the squad. That wouldn’t be the case now.

But with that in mind, here are some low-owned names to consider if you’re intent on a few alternative picks!

WHAT IS THE SCOUTING BONUS?

Low-owned picks can be beneficial in Club World Cup Fantasy.

The scoring system encourages the selection of differentials, with additional Scouting Bonus points (+2) on offer if any player scores more than four points and is owned by fewer than 5% of all teams.

MATCHDAY 4 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST GOALKEEPERS

The only goalkeeper from the eight round-of-16 favourites who currently qualifies for Scouting Bonus is Robert Sanchez ($5.3m). Even then, he’s hovering precariously at 4.7% ownership.

You’d expect Sanchez to return to the Chelsea XI against Benfica after his Matchday 3 breather, but then you’d never be 100% sure that Filip Jorgensen ($4.2m) isn’t going to get another run-out at some point. Perhaps that risk abates now that we’re at the business end of the competition.

Many of the remaining names, like Flamengo’s Agustín Rossi ($5.3m) and Juventus’s Michele Di Gregorio ($5.3m), have it tough. Even if they make it through the last 16, another European giant awaits in the quarters.

It’s probably best to look at Chelsea’s quarter of the draw, then, where the bookies are less certain of who progresses.

Botafogo’s John ($4.2m) and Benfica’s Anatolii Trubin ($5.3m) may be slight underdogs for their last-16 ties but you still wouldn’t be shocked if their sides progressed at the expense of Palmeiras and Chelsea. Keep an eye on John’s ownership, though, which stands at 4.1%.

MATCHDAY 4 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST DEFENDERS

Some of the more appealing-looking differentials from the tournament favourites aren’t definite starters.

Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano ($5.6m) and Josip Stanisic ($4.9m) both qualify, but it might be an either/or between those two.

Any Man City defender is a gamble. Manuel Akanji ($5.6m) is eligible for Scouting Bonus but could easily drop out in Matchday 4.

Raúl Asencio ($4.2m) is back from suspension for Real Madrid but with Antonio Rudiger ($6.0m) and now Eder Militao ($5.8m) available, there’s plenty of risk there.

No likely starting defender for PSG is under 5%.

So, we go elsewhere.

Levi Colwill ($5.3m) is Chelsea’s first-choice left-sided centre-back and should come back in after his Matchday 3 breather. At just 3.6% owned, he shouldn’t rise too much before the deadline.

Dortmund stoppers Waldemar Anton ($4.6m) and Ramy Bensebaini ($5.2m) both qualify, too. They’re likely safer bets than Ryerson ($4.9m) and the bargain Yan Couto ($4.0m), who could be competing for one right wing-back slot. Both made the line-up in Matchday 3, however, with Ryerson as a right-sided centre-half.

Palmeiras’ Joaquín Piquerez ($5.1m) is definitely one of the more attractive sub-5% picks. A penalty-taking, attack-minded full-back, he’s already registered four shots and as many key passes. He’s got one of the more attainable routes through to the semi-finals, as well.

MATCHDAY 4 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST MIDFIELDERS

Many of the remaining differential midfielders from the tournament favourites are more defensive-minded shields or deeper playmakers.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz ($6.5m) is one: he scored in Matchday 1 but that was his only shot of the tournament so far.

Matheus Nunes ($4.9m) is even a ‘reverse OOP’ pick: listed as a midfielder but operating at right-back. Still, with assists in back-to-back games and Rico Lewis ($4.9m) still banned, he could get joy against Al-Hilal.

The 3.6%-owned Jhon Arias ($6.2m) is a more secure starter, for those fancying Fluminense to upset the odds and beat Inter. On corners, free-kicks and penalties, his haul in Matchday 2 underscored his potential. His shot count of nine is also one of the highest among midfielders left in the tournament. Only one player still in the tournament can better his key pass total of eight, too.

That man is Inter’s Nicolo Barella ($7.0m), who himself features in just 4.3% of squads. Maybe not the most exciting of picks, he did at least deliver nine attacking returns in Serie A last season. Of the 11 chances he’s created this summer, one was converted into an assist.

MATCHDAY 4 SCOUTING BONUS: BEST FORWARDS

Eligible forwards are even in shorter supply!

Randal Kolo Muani ($8.0m) is one, although he faces the might of Real Madrid in the last 16. With two goals and an assist in his two outings so far, he’s expected to come back into the starting XI after his Matchday 3 breather.

The Chelsea-bound Estevao ($5.5m) has blanked in all three matches but has looked lively at times, registering seven shots and five key passes. Most Matchday 4 squads will have to make compromises somewhere and at that price, as well as being eligible for Scouting Bonus and having an okay-ish fixture, there are worse punts.

Again, keep an eye on these two forwards’ ownerships: they are at 4.7% and 4.5% as things stand.