Marash Kumbulla

One to watch....

Be sure to keep an eye on Verona's young central defender Marash Kumbulla as he returns to the starting line-up after missing out against Udinese following his late red card against Juve.

Excluding the last match against Udinese, Albanian international Marash Kumbulla has been an ever present at the heart of Ivan Jurićs favoured three-man defence.

What's so remarkable about Kumbulla isn't just that fact that he's only 19-years-old, but that he is a product of the Hellas youth academy system.

Few players in recent years have made the step up from the club's youth academy (the other notable exception is midfielder Andrea Danzi who remains on the periphery of the first-team squad).

Successive coaches at Hellas have been keeping a close eye on Kumbulla's impressive development in recent years, but it was Juric who recognised the youngster's aptitude at the highest level. Kumbulla's progress may have been even swifter, but the youngster has been tormented by a number of serious injuries in the last couple of seasons. 

Born on the lakeside resort town of Peschiera del Garda to Albanese parents, Kumbulla has been playing for Hellas since he was 8-years-old. A regular face in the Albanese under 21s team, it can surely be only a matter of time before he gets his first full cap for the national side.

Focussed, decisive and without any obvious flaws, he's exactly what Hellas have been lacking in recent seasons. Decent in the air and an intelligent reader of the game despite his lack of experience, he's proving to be a crucial component in Juric's tight defensive unit.

It's a defensive record that the youngster should be proud of. 

Only Inter this season have conceded fewer goals!

(Foto: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images/Guliver)