WORLD CUP: Who will star in the Russia 2018 quarter-finals?

England are in action against Sweden, with #ItsComingHome ready to go into overdrive should they beat the mean defence of the Scandinavians.

Here's Joseph Macey's guide to who - and what - to look out for this weekend.

Uruguay v France (Friday, 3pm)

Uruguay had a slightly weaker group with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but they still had to get through and did so in a ruthless style, topping the group without conceding a goal.

Their defence is organised and strong, with Diego Godin dominant at centre-back, but they can also score goals, with Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez the star men up front.

They have come good at the right time and turning up the gears in the last couple of games.

Player to watch: Edinson Cavani

He didn’t score many in the group stage but nonetheless he was a class act, doing a lot of the hard pressing work to free up space for Suarez.

Two fantastic goals against Portugal in the last 16 match will give him momentum going into the quarter-finals - injury permitting.

France made a stuttering start but showed their class in an explosive game with Argentina, where they were a goal down and seemingly flicked a switch to reply with three superb goals in 15 minutes.

They have settled into a formation after the first two games, having seemingly not known what their best team was.

Blaise Matuidi was brought into central midfield, and alongside N’Golo Kante he provides a solid base for Paul Pogba to shine, as he did against Argentina.

Player to watch: Kylian Mbappe

Against Argentina, he demonstrated why clubs are offering the money they are for him. 

He scored two excellent goals and won a penalty after running from his own half with the ball.

When the last teenager to score two goals at a World Cup was Pele, you have to take notice.

BIG SHOW: Kylian Mbappe was France's match-winner against Argentina. Pic: David Vincent/AP Photo

Brazil v Belgium (Friday, 7pm)

Brazil have overhauled their players and manager since then the 7-1 humiliation against Germany in 2014.

They seem to have everything: creative forwards, a barrier in midfield and a solid defence led by the ruthless Thiago Silva.

There are no obvious weaknesses and are clear favourites to lift the trophy.

Player to watch: Neymar

The forward divides opinion due to his histrionics, but he has 57 goals in 89 games for his country.

He often drifts out of games but then comes up with a moment of genius to drag his team out of trouble.

Belgium are enjoying a 'golden generation' of talent, and showed real steel to come back from 2-0 down against Japan this week.

Some people had their doubts, but Roberto Martinez has got them firing and working together, something previous Belgium managers were not able to do.

They have incredible depth, and options off the bench to change games.

Player to watch: Eden Hazard

With fellow creator extraordinaire Kevin de Bruyne playing deeper, Eden Hazard is the real dangerman for Belgium.

He can score and assist while making it look easy, and not many teams can cope with him when he's on song.

Sweden v England (Saturday, 3pm)

Sweden had a decent group stage, winning two of their games and only losing to Germany from a last-minute free-kick.

Only two goals conceded in the tournament show that they have a mean defence and great team ethic - a side not to be underestimated.

They play a very rigid formation with a flat four midfield with essentially four central midfielders who work as a cohesive unit to make the pitch tight and difficult for the opposition to play in.

Player to watch: Emil Forsberg

The tricky winger has had a great couple of seasons in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig, scoring 10 goals and getting 24 assists in 51 games.

He only has one goal in Russia 2018 but he has shown glimpses of his quality, so the England defence must be on its toes.

England made it through after a brave performance against Colombia... though it could have been so much easier if they hadn't conceded that last-minute goal.

England won their first penalty shootout in a major tournament for 22 years - a mental block lifted.

England look revitalised under Gareth Southgate, with a young squad fixing broken relationships with the fans and the media, and they may never have a better chance of getting to a World Cup final.

Player to watch: Harry Kane

Given the captaincy by Southgate before the World Cup, Harry Kane has taken it in his stride and leads the race for the Golden Boot with six goals.

He looks so sharp, following a terrific season with Tottenham, where he scored 30 goals in 37 games.

LEADER: Luka Modric has been Croatia's heartbeat. Ricardo Mazalan/AP Photo

Russia v Croatia (Saturday, 7pm)

Russia have surprised many in this World Cup, with some thinking they would not even muster up a win, but they have produced a string of dogged performances.

They dug in to secure a famous win on penalties against Spain, with the talented Aleksandr Golovin and Denis Cheryshev providing the creativity, and they are consistently up the top of the table in terms of running stats.

Player to watch: Artem Dzyuba

Not the most thrilling of players, but has shown he is willing to work hard for the team, chasing down the ball and holding up the ball for his team-mates.

Had an awful campaign for Zenit St Petersburg, being sent out on loan to Arsenal Tula, but with three World Cup goals, clubs may come circling.

Croatia - like Belgium - have a team which is labelled as their ‘golden generation’.

After a fine group stage, they played badly but got through on penalties against Denmark.

They have built a solid defence with Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida at its heart, and the midfield creativity of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic in midfield makes for a brilliant combination.

Player to watch: Luka Modric

At 32 years of age this could well be his last World Cup, but the pint-sized magician is the player the team looks for.

Everything goes through him and he drifts across the midfield, making him impossible to mark.

He has got better with age, crafting his trade at Real Madrid, he makes Croatia tick, and Russia will need to use every tactic to stop him dictating the game.

***

Looking to watch the games in Taunton? Check out our guide to the local World Cup venues here.

Taunton Town FC are also showing the England game on Saturday afternoon, with the Viridor Stadium clubhouse open from 2pm.