Belgium v Panama: Red Devils the Fantasy favourites

Yannick Carrasco (£6.5m) will be a key player in Belgium’s World Cup opener against lowly Panama today, according to Fantasy managers.

The Dalian Yifang winger is the most-owned player ahead of the first match of Group G, sitting in 16.2% of McDonald’s FIFA World Cup squads.

His modest price has encouraged more Fantasy managers to sign him for Gameround 1 than the prolific Romelu Lukaku (£10.0m), who has eight goals and two assists in his last six international appearances.

The Manchester forward is owned by 13.7% of managers, exactly four percent more than those who opted for Chelsea man Eden Hazard (£10.0m). In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne (£10.0m) is in 12.7% of teams.

Fantasy managers are also expecting a clean sheet for Belgium as they face a Panama side that qualified for the World Cup with a negative goal difference.

Attacking full-back Thomas Meunier (£6.0m) was involved in more goals (13) than either Lukaku (12) or Hazard (11) in qualifying and has convinced 10.2% of managers to invest in him, while 13.2% opted for the more familiar figure of Thibaut Courtois (£6.0m).

BELGIUM XI (3-4-2-1): Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen; Meunier, Witsel, De Bruyne, Carrasco; Mertens, E. Hazard (c); R. Lukaku

PANAMA XI (4-1-4-1): Penedo; Murillo, Escobar, Torres, Davis; Gomez; Barcenas, Godoy, Cooper, Rodriguez; Perez.