Five players to watch at the Copa America: Cavani, Firmino, Otamendi...

Not a hot prospect by any stretch of the imagination, but Edinson Cavani will be Uruguay’s best striking outlet this summer. With Luis Suarez suspended for the competition, the PSG star is to be tasked with spearheading the Celeste offensive. A blistering end to the season means Cavani comes into the tournament in his best form. In his most recent nine domestic appearances for the Parisian side, the 28-year-old netted 13 times and provided one assist, though it's a return expected of one of football’s leading frontmen.

Cavani’s goalscoring prowess towards the end of the campaign only accentuates his statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘finishing’. Suarez’s absence makes it that much harder for Uruguay to defend their Copa America crown, but in Cavani, Oscar Tabarez is able to utilise a striker currently on the top of his game. Indeed, should the Celeste come away from Chile victorious, chances are Cavani will have played a starring role in attack.

Given his talent and performances for Hoffenheim, it’s remarkable to think that Roberto Firmino has only five international caps to his name. The young Brazil star made his debut for the national team back in November and it’s fair to say the call up was richly deserved. Only Arjen Robben (8.47) and Kevin De Bruyne (7.95) gained a better WhoScored.com rating than the 23-year-old (7.79) in the Bundesliga last season, with Firmino directly involved in 17 (7 goals and 10 assists) of Hoffenheim’s 49 league goals.

Only Karim Bellarabi (153) completed more successful dribbles in Germany’s top tier last term than Firmino (140), with the youngster’s directness when in possession expected to light up Chile 2015 when he is handed the chance to run with the ball. Only De Bruyne (74) played more key passes from open play than Firmino (69) in the Bundesliga last campaign, so there is an end product to the latter’s game that will significantly boost Brazil’s chances of glory.

A successful debut campaign with Valencia has rendered Nicolás Otamendi hot property across Europe, with a number of teams showing an interest in the centre-back. The powerful defender earned a place in WhoScored.com’s European team of the season, with his rating (7.59) the best of all defenders in La Liga last term. Potential suitors are expected to keep a watchful eye on the 27-year-old as Argentina look to live up to their Copa America favourites billing.

In Otamendi, the Albiceleste have a defender more than capable of stifling opposition attacks. The Valencia star made more clearances (258) and blocked more shots (28) than any other player in Spain’s top tier last term. The ability to be in the right place at the right time to repel danger is Otamendi’s best trait. It’s worth noting, though, that the defender is also capable of playing the ball out from the back having mustered an 80.3% pass success rate from an average of 44.6 passes per league game.

The tenacious midfielder is yet to make an appearance for club side Internacional this season, but his performances for the Brazilian side last term - and indeed the 2014 World Cup - saw him win a number of admirers. Aranguiz’s all-energy displays in the middle of the park are likely to be key for Chile in their quest to win the Copa America on home soil. Six goals and three assists in last season’s Brasileirao contributed to a WhoScored.com rating of 7.06.

His 2.6 tackles and one interception per game highlighted his all-round midfield ability, which is expected to be crucial for La Roja this summer. Statistically calculated WhoScored.com strengths of ‘key passes’ and ‘passing’ further accentuates Aránguiz’s ability to retain possession and unlock opposition defences in the blink of an eye, with an average of 1.6 key passes per game last season ranking among the top 25 players in Brazil’s top tier. If Aranguiz can pick the right pass for his attacking team-mates, Jorge Sampaoli’s side have a better chance of landing their first ever Copa America championship.

If Venezuela are to progress from Group C, they will need striker Salomon Rondón to be firing on all cylinders in Chile. Only Zenit St. Petersburg teammate Hulk (15) netted more goals in the Russian Premier League last season than the 25-year-old frontman (13), despite making just 17 starts. His goalscoring ability has seen him gain a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘finishing’, a facet of his game that will be essential in a group consisting of heavyweights Brazil and Colombia.

No player scored more clear cut goalscoring chances in Russia’s top tier last term than Rondon (10) and it’s clear he is capable of getting into decent positions to frequently hit the back of the net. His movement off the ball is all but set to be crucial for La Vinotinto in what could be a competition where the striker attracts the interest of teams from Europe’s top five leagues.