10 Players to Watch in World Football This Weekend of October 3-5
Star names can often decide big fixtures one way or another, whether that is protecting their own team's goal or trying to ensure their side can breach the opposition defence at the other end of the pitch.
We've had a look around the game and picked out 10 players for this coming weekend who bear watching for various reasons, including Cesc Fabregas who will face his old club, Arsenal, with his new team, Chelsea.
Feel free to discuss and leave your own thoughts below on additional players who could have a telling impact over the weekend!
Cesc Fabregas
1 of 10
We may as well start in England and the Premier League, with the clash between last season's third and fourth-placed sides.
Chelsea seem a great bet for the title already and will be looking to overrun rivals Arsenal and take three points, with the Cesc-Nemanja Matic midfield pairing just about the best in the country at this point.
Cesc came of age while at Arsenal, of course, and doubtless still enjoys seeing the club do well—but his only concern on Sunday will be beating them, extending Chelsea's unbeaten run and staying on top of the table.
Edinson Cavani
2 of 10
In France, the PSG vs. Monaco tie isn't perhaps as critical this season as last, but PSG haven't yet been firing on all cylinders domestically and could do with a positive and convincing victory.
Edinson Cavani needs to show much more in this game that he can be the all-round striker who can create and score while usual centre-forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is absent, having not found the net in three matches while the Swede is out injured.
Selfless, capable of spectacular feats and with ability he might be, but the Uruguayan hasn't been showing that of late.
Lukasz Skorupski
3 of 10
Roma are gunning for the Serie A title once more this season, and face their biggest test of the campaign at the weekend: the away trip to Juventus.
Regular goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis is struggling with injury and missed the midweek clash in the Champions League against Manchester City, leaving Lukasz Skorupski to take his place between the sticks.
The 23-year-old Polish stopper could be in line for the biggest game of his career so far at the weekend if De Sanctis does not recover.
Cristiano Ronaldo
4 of 10
It seems a bit of a no-brainer that Cristiano Ronaldo bears watching, but in truth he hasn't been at his best over the past couple of La Liga matches, despite still hitting the goal trail.
The division's top scorer for the campaign so far is more than capable of hitting top gear at a moment's notice, of course, and may well have to do so this weekend against Athletic Bilbao.
The Basque side have been failing to score or win games themselves and, playing at home, Real Madrid will be expected to be on the front foot. Ronaldo will get chances coming his way during the 90 minutes and few would bet against him taking one—but if he ups his all-round game, he is capable of destroying Bilbao by himself and adding another few goals to his tally in the process.
Jeremy Menez
5 of 10
AC Milan forward Jeremy Menez is playing better now he has returned to a central position, but boss Pippo Inzaghi needs to figure out if he plays better (for the team) as a withdrawn centre-forward, or directly as a No. 10 with another striker ahead.
Milan have been hot and cold this term as they seek to get back near the top of Serie A, so getting the best from the talented Frenchman Menez will be key to how quickly they can find some consistency and fluidity in the final third.
Menez and his team take on Chievo this weekend, who have won just once so far.
Leonardo Pisculichi
6 of 10
It's impossible to ignore the Superclasico, which takes place in Buenos Aires this weekend.
River Plate lead the Torneo Inicial in Argentina and will hope to continue their good form by beating arch-rivals Boca Juniors, with Leonardo Pisculichi likely key in the battle.
The attacker has scored three in his last four league games and has been a source of chances for others too; performing well in the Superclasico is a perfect way to make himself an even bigger hero with the fans.
Koke
7 of 10
Atletico Madrid are looking somewhere near back to their best after a pulverising win over Sevilla last weekend and defeating Juventus in the Champions League in midweek.
The Spanish champions can thank Koke in particular for that, for two impressive displays which mixed his great technical qualities with phenomenal off-the-ball work-rate.
The midfielder will bear watching this weekend in the big La Liga game, where third-placed Atleti visit second-placed Valencia. He has the ability and the form to unlock what has been a very tough-to-break defence so far.
Andre-Pierre Gignac
8 of 10
In Ligue 1, Marseille are the early leaders as Marcelo Bielsa's revolution has quickly taken shape.
Andre-Pierre Gignac has benefitted immensely from the more aggressive, relentless approach of the side, finding himself in great goalscoring form to notch eight goals this season already, after eight games.
Marseille travel to Caen this weekend who are without a win in their last five, conceding seven goals in the process.
Daley Blind
9 of 10
Manchester United are slowly finding better form and results this season after a switch to a diamond midfield, which sees Daley Blind at the base.
The Dutchman's job will be even more important this coming weekend as central midfielder Ander Herrera is out injured, while the tip of the diamond will see a change too with Wayne Rooney suspended.
Blind's ability to control possession and dictate the play ahead of him will be just as important as his defensive duties against Everton, with two notably creative outlets missing from the middle quartet. The forwards ahead of him have the quality, but Blind will partly be tasked with servicing those attackers this time around.
Nilmar
10 of 10
Thirty-year-old Brazilian striker Nilmar has rejoined former club Internacional in his home country—and could make his debut in a table-topping clash against Cruzeiro.
Having endured a somewhat meandering career since leaving Villarreal in 2012, Nilmar is back with his first club and looking to regain his form which made him a regular in the Brazil national team near the end of the last decade.
Internacional are second in the Brazilian Serie A and can close the gap to three points with a win.
