Arsenal at the World Cup, Part I: Which Young Gunner Will Fare Best?

For Part II: Can Fabregas' Spain or van Persie's Netherlands Win?, click here.

With so many Gunners headed to South Africa as key members of their national sides, Arsenal fans will be treated to some interesting group stage encounters, as well as the likelihood of compelling knockout stage match-ups that will feature first team Arsenal players on opposite sides of the ball.

If Theo Walcott finds his way onto the England bench, and either long-injured Johan Djourou or under-performing Philippe Senderos travels with the Swiss team, Arsenal have a chance to be represented by nine of the 32 teams in five of the eight groups.

Two groups in particular, Group A, which includes France and Mexico, and Group E, which includes Cameroon, Denmark, and the Netherlands, guarantee early Gunner face-offs. Additionally, the serious title hopes of the Spanish, French, and Dutch teams should ensure that the Arsenal will keep blazing well into July.

With final rosters not yet set, but with the Cup only 45 days away, it's high time to join the World Cup speculation and prognostication party.

This first of two Arsenal at the World Cup previews will address which of Arsenal's young, not-quite-established stars is most likely to make a name for himself this summer in South Africa.

Carlos Vela

In Group A, a young Mexico side will have to overcome either of the group favorites, Uruguay or France, and hold off tournament hosts, South Africa, if they hope to extend their streak of four consecutive round of 16 appearances.

The undersized CONCACAF giants will feature a quick, explosive young core of offensive talent, including European-tested Giovani dos Santos, Andres Guardado, and Arsenal's Carlos Vela, who has netted eight goals in 23 capped appearances for los Tri .

The Cancun-born Vela, who has underwhelmed this season at Arsenal, albeit in limited appearances, will be presented with an interesting opportunity to prove his mettle when Mexico face off against France in their second match on June 17.

If he can light up the left wing against a seasoned and successful French side that could conceivably take as many as five Gunners to the World Cup, Vela not only can help to ensure his team's advancement, but he can prove to Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal faithful that he has what it takes to produce at the highest level.

Samir Nasri

On the nymphet-loving French side, while Bacary Sagna and William Gallas (if healthy) are locks to anchor Raymond Domenech's defense, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, and Samir Nasri are less certain of making the trip.

Neither Clichy nor Diaby has made many appearances for the senior national side. Nasri, who has spent the season playing mostly on the wing at Arsenal, may struggle to find a place in Domenech's 4-2-3-1 formation.

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old Frenchman has shown flashes of brilliant form on both sides of the field, and has demonstrated that he is more than capable of marshaling a full-game offensive effort from a central attacking midfield role.

Though he can expect to see more of the pitch for France after Domenech's anticipated post-World Cup ouster, Nasri may find himself under-utilized with Franck Ribery, Yoann Gourcuff, Sidney Govou, and Florent Malouda likely to start ahead of him in the wing and midfield positions for which he is best suited.

Nasri will never be a dominant two-way midfielder like Zinedine Zidane. However, if given the chance, he may begin to show the creativity and vision needed to fill the void in the French attack left by the retirement of one of the greatest number 10s in world football history.

Nicklas Bendtner

In the tournament's most interesting group, Group E, convalescent Robin van Persie's Oranje may be more likely to play longer, but Gooners might be more interested in the short term fates of Nicklas Bendtner's Denmark and Alex Song's Cameroon.

It's still difficult for Arsenal fans to imagine the words Bendtner and talisman used together in a sentence. Yet in the Bizarro World that is international football, Nicklas Bendtner is just that for his national team.

The Danish talisman saw his side to a surprising first place finish in their UEFA qualifying group with a goal in each leg against Portugal, another tally against Albania, and an oh-so-sweet assist against hated rivals (by laid-back Scandinavian standards) Sweden.

To be fair, Bendtner is one of Arsenal's most improved players of the 2009-10 season.

He will always be in the shadow of his faster and more creative Dutch mentor, van Persie. However, since his late January return from minor groin surgery, Bendtner has converted a van Persie-like 8 goals and 5 assists in 13 starts, and came on as a sub to net the late game winner against Wolverhampton.

Despite his recent form and Arsenal Player of the Month honors in March, Bendtner still has a lot of questions to answer about his big game ability and overall consistency with Arsenal.

Denmark look to be overmatched against the Netherlands when the two lowland teams meet in mile high Johannesburg on June 14, but it would not be an unreasonable personal goal for Bendtner to attempt to log a productive and competitive 90 minutes against the stacked Dutch starting XI.

Leading his national side into battle against Cameroonian and Japanese defenses that rank among the tournament's most porous, however, Bendtner has an excellent opportunity to make a name for himself in the wide open race for second place in Group E.

If Olsen's Eleven advance, it may be thanks to a key assist or header from Arsenal's Great Dane.

Alex Song

Another of Arsenal's most improved players this season, Alex Song, has been a fixture on his national side since being named to the All-Tournament Squad in the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Though previously uncapped for his country, Song came on to star in his team's defense, and helped lead Les Lions Indomables to the championship match in Accra, before succumbing to injury in a 1-0 defeat to Egypt.

Primarily a defensive midfielder for the Gunners, but a central defender in most matches for the versatile Cameroonian national side, Song has become equally valuable on both squads.

Though he has come up big this season in his holding midfield role, Song is not yet a complete player for Arsenal. Still young and with time on his side, Song must show greater poise and skill going forward if he is to become the world class player that Arsene Wenger clearly believes he can become.

The World Cup may be the best stage upon which to prove himself.

The race for second place in Group E may come down to a test of wills between Danish, Japanese, and Cameroonian squads that will seek to impose vastly different styles of play on each other. If Cameroon are to succeed and advance, Alex Song will have to play a key role:  He must be tough, sturdy, and disciplined in defense, but should look to feed the midfield, and lock down the center circle when his team are on the attack.

The Verdict: Who Will Make the Most of the World Stage

Which of these rising Arsenal stars is most likely to earn international recognition this summer?

Nasri, the most talented of the lot, is lucky to play for a perennial contender, albeit a dysfunctional one, but will struggle to find the pitch, and may have to wait four years to have his day at the World Cup.

Song will be solid in defense for Cameroon, but his team are still likely to concede a lot of goals. I favor Cameroon to advance over Japan and Denmark, but I do not see them getting past snooze-fest Italy (who could practically sleepwalk through Group F), even though they did earn a scoreless draw against Marcello Lippi's experimental lineup in Monaco two months ago.

Bendtner is one of the focal points of the Danish attack. Along with aging veteran Dennis Rommedahl, he is one of the squad's most accomplished European players. If Bendtner doesn't show up, the high-flying Danish attack may turn anemic against Cameroonian and Japanese sides that will be far better-conditioned to playing at 4000 and 5000 feet above sea level. Can the Dane deliver under pressure?

Bendtner is my wild card for this World Cup.

He could still make a name for himself without his team advancing beyond the group stage. A stellar performance, however, could earn Denmark a spot in the round of 16 where they would match-up better against Italy than Cameroon would.

Two of Europe's colonial midgets battling it out south of the equator at 4000 feet? It may be the altitude getting to me, but a chance free kick and a lucky late header from the superbly coiffed Dane could provide one of the upsets of the tournament.

More realistically, I don't expect Denmark to advance beyond the group stage, due in no small part to my lack of confidence in Bendtner's big match form for Arsenal. I have never before watched him for Denmark, however, and I hope to be proved wrong.

I believe Mexico's Carlos Vela will be the most likely to shine at the World Cup.

Vela, though he rotates in and out of a starting role for Mexico, is equally dangerous when his blinding speed is introduced off the bench. His team's hopes may not rest on his form as much as Bendtner's and Song's, but he can look forward to perhaps the best combination of opportunity and favorable seeding. Uruguay and France both struggled mightily simply to qualify, and neither will be as comfortable as South Africa and Mexico at high altitudes.

Fitness and roster depth will be bywords this summer. Therefore, I look for Mexico to be surprise winners of their group ahead of aging France, and to beat Group B runners up Nigeria to advance to the quarterfinal for the first time since they last hosted in 1986.

I think Carlos Vela will distinguish himself by becoming one of the most feared young attackers in the tournament.

Hopefully he can bring the form that he displayed in CONCACAF qualification to the World Cup and carry that momentum into August for Arsenal.

For Part II: Can Fabregas' Spain or van Persie's Netherlands Win?, click here.