5 players who might not make Belgium's World Cup squad

Roberto Martinez, as manager of Belgium, dark horses for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, will face a tricky situation when he selects his 23-man squad for the tournament. The country's national team consists of some of the best players in the world and will be outside hopefuls for the crown.

The former Everton and Wigan manager, Martinez will be entering his first ever World Cup as a manager. Widely regarded as the golden generation of players from the country, Belgium and their manager have a lot of quality players to choose from in every department for the upcoming tournament.

With a number of star players in the squad, the manager will have to leave out a number of talented players for the tournament. Here we take a look at 5 players who might not make the final 23 for Belgium:

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#5 Kevin Mirallas

30-year-old Olympiacos (on loan from Everton) and Belgium winger, Kevin Mirallas has not been in great form so far this season and has struggled to cement a place in the club's starting eleven.

With only a handful of appearances to his name, Mirallas will need to impress current club Olympiacos' manager - Oscar Junyent before he stands a shot of making the Belgian World Cup squad, under Roberto Martinez.

Having made just 5 appearances for Everton this season, Mirallas moved back to former club Olympiacos on a season-long loan deal earlier this month, on the 7th of January. He has since made 1 appearance for the Greek side.

With a whole host of stars to select from, Martinez could overlook his former player and opt to go with more tested individuals with sufficient game time. With an incredibly strong set of players to choose from, Mirallas will need to put in excellent showings in the second half of the season to stand a shot at selection.

#4 Adnan Januzaj

Januzaj in action for Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid in La Liga

Former Manchester United ace, Adnan Januzaj moved to Real Sociedad before the start of the season and has slowly settled into his new club. With the World Cup in under six months time, Januzaj has not been consistent enough with his club to earn himself a call-up for the tournament.

With only a few goals to his name and a string of sub-par performances, Januzaj will be likely to miss out on a World Cup appearance. Martinez has to pick a strong squad, with a number of players in similar positions putting in superb shifts for their respective clubs.

Januzaj was considered a gem of a player in the making during his early years at United, but has faded away under the spotlight. Only still 22-years-old, Januzaj has a long time to recover and build his game for tournaments in the future, but looks set to miss out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

#3 Nacer Chadli

Chadli in action for West Bromwich Albion

Former Spurs and Twente winger and attacking player, Nacer Chadli currently plies his trade for West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. The Belgian has played just under 200 minutes of football this season and is nursing a thigh injury.

With his return-date to the game still unknown, Chadli's hopes of making his country's World Cup squad also hangs in the balance. Roberto Martinez faces a tricky situation with the player as he brings experience to the side but since he hasn't played enough football this campaign, Chadli could be overlooked.

With most of the second half of the season still to go, a strong injury free showing from the former Spurs man could result in the manager opting to choose the talented professional in his team.

Belgium has an experienced and talented bunch of top quality players and the addition of Chadli to the ranks will only bolster the squad. However, it remains unclear as to whether the player will be fit, or in the squad for the World Cup.

#2 Thorgan Hazard

Hazzard in action for Belgium during a FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier

24-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach and Belgian midfielder, Thorgan Hazard could be another one of the good quality players who might miss out on a spot in Belgian's national team for the World Cup.

Although the player has been a constant starter for the German side, there are a number of players in his position who could be selected in front of the former Chelsea player. With the likes of his brother Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco, Dries Mertens all playing in a similar position, the 24-year-old winger might well be overlooked by Roberto Martinez.

However, an interesting factor for the player could be the drop in form for the likes of Januzaj, Mirallas and Chadli that could result in, and lead to a spot in the squad for the talented, attacking winger.

Thorgan Hazard will undoubtedly be eager to impress Martinez and make the national team squad, with more consistent performances in the second half of the campaign.

#1 Christian Benteke

Benteke has struggled for Crystal Palace this season

Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker, Christian Benteke has struggled all season to find his goal scoring touch. He has managed to score just a single goal in the Premier League in over 1400 minutes of league football. With less than half the season to go, Benteke will need to start firing on all cylinders if he is to impress Roberto Martinez for a place in the squad.

With Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Divock Origi and Michy Batshuayi all in contention for the four attacking spots in the World Cup squad, Benteke could be left out of the World Cup, given his irregular showings and terrible goalscoring form.

Martinez and his striking coach Thierry Henry will be wary of the players' form and will face a tricky decision to leave the player out of the tournament squad. If Benteke does not improve in the coming months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Martinez will find it relatively easier to leave the player out.