Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly has been included on ESPN’s list of the top 50 footballers to feature at the 2022 World Cup.
The tournament is just days away from getting going, with Senegal a side who will be looking to at least advance from their group.
They will take on the hosts, Qatar, as well as Ecuador following their tournament opener against Netherlands.
The African Cup of Nations champions will be well represented by the Blues, with Edouard Mendy set to be a key member of their team.
Koulibaly however will captain the side, and ESPN have labelled him as one of the top players at the tournament.
Koulibaly rated ahead of World Cup
They said: “Senegal have high hopes for this World Cup following their African Cup of Nations triumph in February, and while there’ll be plenty of attention around their brilliant forward Sadio Mane, any triumph will be anchored at the back and captain Koulibaly is indispensable.
“His season has started slowly at new club Chelsea following his summer move from Napoli, but he’ll feel right at home in front of Edouard Mendy as the last wall of defence for Senegal. He prioritises the collective over any individual praise.
“When Senegal won the Cup of Nations, Koulibaly refused to lift the trophy by himself and instead waited to be back with his team so they could celebrate together.”
After injuries have disrupted his build up to the competition, he will be hoping a strong run in Qatar will get his club form back on track for the second half of the domestic campaign.
His form has been up and down since making the move to Stamford Bridge.
A couple of rough displays have seen him come into criticism, although he has certainly shown signs that he has the ability to become a very important defender for Chelsea.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
