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#4-Emiliano Martinez (Goalkeeper, Argentina & Aston Villa)
Emiliano Martinez's rise to prominence has been nothing short of miraculous. An unexpected injury to first-choice keeper Bernd Leno provided the 28-year old an opportunity to shine with Arsenal in the 2019/20 season.
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The late bloomer grabbed his chance, putting in a string of sensational performances enroute to Mikel Arteta's men winning the FA Cup.
In the summer of 2020, the Argentine made a £20 million transfer to Aston Villa, where he has established himself as one of manager Dean Smith's most reliable players.
Despite suffering a small injury scare in the recent FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia due to a clash of heads, the Villa player has managed to recover and has rejoined the Argentina squad.
He is expected to start between the posts for Argentina's opening Copa America game, a tough fixture against Alexis Sanchez's Chile on Tuesday.
#3-Davinson Sanchez (Centre-back, Colombia and Tottenham Hotspur)
25-year-old Davinson Sanchez has displayed that he has a matured head on young shoulders, having started 17 of Spurs games in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season. Having made a big money transfer (£42 million) from Dutch giants Ajax in 2017, Sanchez has grown to become a mainstay at Spurs.
For Colombia, he forms a formidable centre-back partnership with Everton's Yerry Mina. While Mina acts as the hammer, dominating the box with his aerial presence and physicality, Sanchez is very much the scapel, surgically intercepting opposition attacks and tracking the forwards with his pace.
Sanchez didn't start the match as Colombia began their 2021 Copa America journey with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, but helped them see out the result after being brought on in the 82nd minute. There is optimism, however, that coach Reinaldo Rueda will use him more as the tournament progresses.
#2-Thiago Silva (Centre-back, Brazil and Chelsea)
The vastly experienced Thiago Silva was one of the driving forces behind Chelsea's triumphant UEFA Champions League campaign in 2020/21. The former Paris Saint-Germain captain infused much-needed experience and fantastic ball carrying ability into Thomas Tuchel's defense, which became a key hallmark of their success.
Despite Tite naming Real Madrid's Casemiro as Brazil's official team captain for the tournament, the 36-year-old Silva still remains the most senior member in the team and the leader that everyone will look to in times of crisis.
His stellar first season for Chelsea was rewarded with a contract extension which will see the veteran stay on for another season at Stamford Bridge.
The UCL winner was an unused substitute in A Selecao's opening game against Venezuela as he was not a 100% fit, but O Monstro, as he is affectionately called by his fans, is sure to make his presence felt as the tournament progresses.
#1-Edinson Cavani (Forward, Uruguay & Manchester United)
In Atletico Madrid's La Liga winner Luis Suarez and Manchester United's Edinson Cavani, Uruguay boast one of the most formidable strike forces in the Copa America.
Cavani, or El Matador as he is known among fans, has made a strong impression at Old Trafford in his first season, netting 17 goals across all competitions in 2020/21. He has plugged a major gap in attack for United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has become an able foil for club talisman Bruno Fernandes to work off of. Cavani was particularly excellent in United's run to the Europa League final.
The Uruguayan's exploits saw the Red Devils extend his stay for another season. His national team manager, Oscar Tabarez will be extremely happy that his star man is arriving at the Copa in a rich vein of form and will be looking to formulate a system that plays to his strengths.
Uruguay begin their 2021 Copa America journey with a blockbuster clash against Lionel Messi's Argentina, with kickoff set for 5:30 AM (IST), on Saturday, the 19th of June.
