Saudi Arabia feeding on scraps as they return to top table

Taisir Al Jassim: Veteran playmaker Al Jassim has been one of Saudi Arabia's most gifted passers over the last decade and qualification for the World Cup is just reward for a fine player who has represented his country more than 120 times while also leading club side Al Ahli to the Saudi title in 2016.

Fahad Al Muwallad: A pacy winger who scored the goal against Japan that ensured Saudi Arabia qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2006, Al Muwallad's direct running and eye for goal will be important for his country if they are to harbour ambitions of moving beyond the group stage.

Form guide

Saudi Arabia's results since securing qualification for the finals have been disappointing, with the country knocked out of the keenly contested Gulf Cup at the end of the group phase in December.

They have won only one of their four warm-up games ahead of Russia. While games against Moldova and Iraq were low key, second-string affairs, a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Belgium in late March suggests much work still needs to be done.

How they qualified: Victory over already-qualified Japan in their final qualifying match in Jeddah sealed progress to the World Cup finals for Saudi Arabia, who finished ahead of Australia on goal difference after a demanding campaign.

Prospects

The coaching changes since qualification was confirmed mean Saudi Arabia's preparations have been disjointed while a decision to send a number of key players to Spanish clubs in a bid to give them more experience has backfired.

The opening game against Russia will be vital for Pizzi and his team as they seek to set a positive tone for the rest of their campaign, while the meeting with Arab rivals Egypt will be among the most keenly followed matches in the Middle East.

But, with the team falling short of the standards achieved under Van Marwijk, a first-round exit is most likely.