Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)

Age: 19

Position: Right-back

Current club: Liverpool

England caps (goals): 0 (0)

Champions League runner-up Alexander-Arnold has enjoyed a whirlwind two seasons at Anfield, topped off by a call-up to Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup.

The 19-year-old has Tottenham’s Kyle Trippier and Manchester City’s Kyle Walker ahead of him in the pecking order, but Alexander-Arnold will be hopeful of a chance after cementing his place at the right side of Liverpool’s defence.

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Having played for all age groups at youth level for England, the teenager could be a hit in Russia, should Southgate give him an opportunity.

The Herald:

This is the first time Alexander-Arnold has been called up to the senior squad, but he was given the chance to join in with training ahead of friendlies against Italy and the Netherlands.

As he has shown at Liverpool, if called upon Alexander-Arnold will provide a reliable option for Southgate.

Kasper Dolberg (Denmark)

Age: 20

Position: Forward

Current club: Ajax

Denmark caps (goals): 4 (1)

Dolberg has been a highly-rated prospect for some time now, but his stock has fallen slightly after a more disappointing season for Ajax in 2017/18.

The striker found the net nine times, a marked drop after hitting 23 goals in all competitions the season before - form which brought him to the attention of major European sides.

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For Denmark, Dolber's opportunities have been few and far between, with his managers preferring to stick with more experienced forwards such as Nicklas Bendtner, Nicolai Jorgensen and Martin Braithwaite.

Dolberg will be eager to make a mark on this summer’s tournament in Russia to justify the hype that surrounded him last term. 

With hitman Bendtner missing out, Dolberg could well get his desired opportunity for his national side as Denmark look to progess into the knockout stages after being drawn with France, Australia and Peru.

Ousmane Dembele (France)

Age: 21

Position: Forward

Current club: FC Barcelona

France caps (goals): 10 (1)

Another young star looking to rediscover the buzz around him, Dembele has struggled at Spanish giants Barcelona after his mega-bucks move from Borussia Dortmund last summer. 

Scoring just three goals in 17 appearances in La Liga was viewed as a disappointment considering the excitement surrounding Dembele following promising seasons at Rennes in Ligue 1 and Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

The Herald:

Dembele will be hopeful of a chance in at least one group game as France look to get past Denmark, Australia and Peru. 

Liverpool are reportedly interested in the 21-year-old, but Barcelona may yet want to keep hold of the youngster should he have a eye-catching tournament.

Denis Zakaria (Switzerland)

Age: 21

Position: Defensive midfielder

Current club: Borussia Monchengladbach

Switzerland caps (goals): 9 (0)

Zakaria’s name will be familiar to Northern Ireland fans after he produced a stunning performance to help Switzerland defeat them in a World Cup play-off.

The 21-year-old was a part of the Swiss squad for the 2016 European Championships while at Young Boys and this attracted interest from several top European sides.

He signed for Bundesliga side Monchengladbach for a reported transfer fee of £8.5 million last summer and scored twice in 24 games for the German club in 2017/18. 

Zakaria could be a star of Vladimir Petkovic’s Swiss team in Russia after playing a role in their qualifying campaign for the World Cup, playing every minute of both legs of the play-off.