Moussa Diarra

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

At Deportivo Alavés, sitting 7th in the table, 25-year-old Malian centre-back Moussa Diarra finds himself on the periphery. Despite his €1.5m market value and imposing physical presence as a 'defensive anchor' specializing in aerial dominance, the 25-year-old has yet to make a competitive appearance this season. With Antonio Blanco (71 rating) anchoring the midfield and Carlos Vicente (70) driving attacks from the wing, Diarra watches from the sidelines as his teammates push for European spots. The defender's 3 yellow cards suggest previous involvement - perhaps in training or cup competitions - but he's yet to crack the starting XI. For a player whose defensive stats (55) and physicality (55) profile him as a traditional stopper, the wait continues for his breakthrough moment in Basque Country.