Arsenal pair, Liverpool, Newcastle stars in World Cup play-offs XI | OneFootball

Some big names are sweating on their participation at the World Cup next summer, with an Arsenal duo joining Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle and Barcelona stars in the play-offs…

We know 42 of the teams heading to North America next summer, with four more to come through the European qualifying play-offs.

That makes for a nervous wait for 16 sides, especially big-hitters like Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Poland.

Here’s the best XI of players now preparing nervously for the play-offs in March…

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)

Getting battered by a ridiculously talented Norway side has cost manager Luciano Spalletti his job but it could also help cost Italy a place at the World Cup. Again. With the Azzurri having failed to reach the last two tournaments, Donnarumma is still – incredibly – waiting for a first World Cup finals appearance.

RB: Matty Cash (Poland)

Unlike Donnarumma, Cash was in Qatar in 2022 but Poland must go through the play-offs if they want to make a third successive finals. The Villa right-back featured in all but on their eight qualifiers as the Poles succumbed to second place behind the Netherlands in Group G.

CB: Andreas Christensen (Denmark)

The Barcelona centre-back played every minute of Denmark’s qualifying campaign, going unbeaten before the Danes came up against Scotland and their Puskas parade. Eighty-cap Christensen was at the last two tournaments, with Denmark successful in the play-offs to reach Russia in 2018.

CB: Alessandro Bastoni (Italy)

“Just look at Bastoni, who Inter consider to be an exceptional defender, but makes tragic errors for Italy,” said Azzurri legend Gianni Rivera after Italy’s 4-1 defeat to Norway. “Evidently, he doesn’t have the same confidence playing for the Azzurri.” Bastoni and Italy had better find some because missing out on a third successive finals will not be tolerated in Italy.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori (Italy)

The Arsenal defender was spared the humiliating Norway mauling in Milan due to a hip injury – he should be okay for the north London derby – but he stuck around to watch the San Siro stands. Alongside…

CM: Sandro Tonali (Italy)

It’s a similar story for Tonali: not fit for national duty but should recover in time for Newcastle’s clash with Manchester City. The midfielder had started every qualifier for Italy, who were perfect against everyone except Norway, who had the Italians on strings, winning by an aggregate of 7-1 over the the first and last matches of the Group I campaign.

CM: Morten Hjulmand (Denmark)

Had the midfielder, perennially linked with Manchester United, not completely f***ed his clearance, Kieran Tierney would not have done this and most of Scotland would not be hungover on Wednesday morning…

RW: Harry Wilson (Wales)

Yes, Wilson plays centrally for Wales but the Fulham wide man cannot be ignored after 12 goal involvements in his last 12 international appearances, including a hat-trick against North Macedonia to secure a home play-off.

LW: Alexander Isak (Sweden)

We’re old enough to remember when Isak was good, and the memory is just about clear enough to include him here, despite the £125million forward stinking the place out for Liverpool and Sweden. In a miserable qualifying campaign for his country, Isak has failed to score or assist in four games.

FWD: Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden)

The Arsenal striker has been little better than Isak but he does have a solitary assist to his name in the opening draw with Slovenia before Sweden lost four on the spin. At least Gyokeres has time to shift some weight before the qualifying play-offs.

FWD: Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Another qualifying play-off for the Barcelona striker after a fraught qualifying campaign that saw him fall out with coach Michal Probierz; be stripped of the captaincy; then regain the captaincy when Probierz was binned. If Lewandowski scores in the play-off, he will join the top five highest scorers in international football.