Is this the most frightening team in Europe?

Belgium head to Hamden Park for their World Cup qualifier with Scotland looking like firm favourites to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

Marc Wilmots’ side sit top of Group A, three points ahead Croatia, and have arguably the best squad of players in European football.

Plenty of the names will be familiar to Premier League fans – especially supporters of Tottenham and Chelsea – with Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, Nacer Chadli all playing at Spurs with Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and the injured Eden Hazard all part of the set up at Stamford Bridge.

Simply the best? The Belgium squad one of the best in Europe

Pulling the strings: Two Premier League stars, Mousa Dembele and Marouane Fellaini, play in midfield

Thibaut Courtois is one of the hottest goalkeeping prospects in European football and is making his name in Spain with Atletico Madrid, on loan from Chelsea, while Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany also leads the national side.

Manchester United’s deadline day signing Marouane Fellaini is another player who is admired across the continent.

World and European champions Spain may force an argument to be considered the best, as will Germany and Italy. But this Belgian squad has to be considered among the very best at the moment.

Here Sportsmail looks at the players who could feature at Hampden Park.

 

Thibaut Courtois
Club: Atletico Madrid (on loan from Chelsea) Position: Goalkeeper Value: £30m

Chelsea snapped up the young keeper from Genk and immediately sent him on loan to Atletico Madrid, where he replaced David de Gea. He has impressed in Madrid, so much so that Barcelona are considering a move for the 21-year-old.

Super stopper: Thibaut Courtois dives bravely at the feet of Lionel Messi while in action for Atletico Madrid against Barcelona

Full stretch: Courtois, who is on loan at Atletico from Chelsea, pulls off a save in training with Belgium ahead of the Scotland qualifier

Vincent Kompany
Club: Manchester City Position: Defender Value: £31m

The Manchester City skipper lifted the Premier League trophy in 2012 and was a key member of Roberto Mancini’s side. Since moving to the Etihad in 2008 from Hamburg he has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Committed: Vincent Kompany bleeds for the cause during the qualifier with Serbia back in June

Giants: Making France's Mathieu Valbuena look small alongside Marouane Fellaini (left) in last month's friendly in Brussels

Jan VertonghenClub: Tottenham Hotspur Position: Defender Value: £19.5m

Andre Villas-Boas splashed £10m on the 25-year-old from Ajax. Vertonghen's stock rose while at the Amsterdam ArenA in 2009-10 under Martin Jol. He has won 49 caps for the national team and formed a good pairing with Kompany.

Main man: Jan Vertonghen in Belgium colours in training at Hampden Park (above) and getting a grip on Olivier Giroud for Spurs during the North London derby (below)

Toby AlderweireldClub: Atletico Madrid Position: Defender Value: £8.8m

Another player who started his career at the Dutch giants Ajax and is known for his strength on the ball and long range passing ability. He was courted by Premier League clubs but switched to La Liga in a £6.1m move to Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day, where he will team up with his national team keeper Courtois.

All action: Ajax's Toby Alderweireld arrives in Glasgow with the Belgian squad (above) and takes on Feyenoord in the air (below)

Daniel van Buyten
Club: Bayern Munich Position: Defender Value: £1.3m

Son of a popular Belgian wrestler from the 1960s, van Buyten has played all over Europe  - including a loan spell at Manchester City. Now at Bayern Munich the defender is an established member of the Belgian squad winning 71 caps.

Star attraction: Veteran defender Daniel van Buyten poses with a fan at Glasgow Airport

Kevin MirallasClub: Everton Position: Midfielder Value: £9.7m

David Moyes splashed £6m on the forward from Olympiakos and he scored six goals in his debut Premier League season. Despite playing 37 times for Belgium, Mirallas is of Spanish decent and played his formative years in France with Lille.

Getting stuck in: Kevin Mirallas (right) shows no mercy to Eden Hazard in training

Flying high: Everton's Mirallas takes on the Cardiff City defence

Eden Hazard
Club: Chelsea Position: Midfielder Value: £37m

A deadline day move to Manchester United reunited the 25-year-old with David Moyes. The United manager got the best out of Fellaini during his five year stay at Goodison Park and will hope for more of the same at Old Trafford.

Euro star: Chelsea's Eden Hazard is one of Belgium's stars

Euro star: Chelsea's Eden Hazard is one of Belgium's stars

Marouane Fellaini
Club: Manchester United Position: Midfielder Value: £27.5m

A deadline day move to Manchester United reunited the 25-year-old with David Moyes. The United manager got the best out of Fellaini during his five year stay at Goodison Park and will hope for more of the same at Old Trafford.

Hair-raising: Marouane Fellaini is perhaps the most recognisable of the Belgium squad and completed a dream deadline day move to Manchester United (below)

Mousa Dembele
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Position: Midfielder Value: £17.5m

Fulham brought Dembele to the Premier League and in his two seasons at Craven Cottage did enough to convince Spurs to splash £15m on the playmaker last summer. A good turn of pace and has the ability to beat players at ease.

Belgian blaster: Mousa Dembele gets a shot off for Spurs in their Premier League match against Swansea City

Axel Witsel
Club: Zenit St Petersburg Position: Midfielder Value: £28m

Witsel is another member of the successful Belgian squad to move for a big transfer fee, when he moved from Benfica to Zenit St Petersburg last summer. He won a number of individual awards while playing for Standard Liege in his early years.

Last time: Axel Witsel on the ball during Belgium's home qualifier with Belgium last October

Last ditch: Zenit's Witsel closes down Nuno Santos of Pacos de Ferreira in a Champions League qualifier

Nacer Chadli
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Position: Midfielder Value: £7.9m

Spurs added to their Belgian contingent when they signed Chadli for £7m from FC Twente in the summer. He is a versatile player who can play as a second striker and out on the wing. Opted to play for Belgium despite holding dual citizenship with Morocco.

Impressed: Nacer Chadli has looked good since moving to Tottenham over the summer

Kevin De BruyneClub: Chelsea Position: Attacking Midfielder Value: £13m

Another Belgian plying his trade in west London with Chelsea. He was signed by the Blues from Genk and sent on loan to Werder Bremen. But after an impressive pre-season, he is part of manager Jose Mourinho’s plans at Stamford Bridge this season.

Blonde ambition: Kevin de Bruyne in training with Belgium this week (above) and showing off some skills in the colours of Chelsea (below)

Blonde ambition: Kevin de Bruyne in training with Belgium this week (above) and showing off some skills in the colours of Chelsea (below)

Romelu Lukaku
Club: Everton (on loan from Chelsea) Position: Striker Value: £21m

Another young player signed by Chelsea and sent out on loan to find his feet in the top flight. Proved his worth while on a season-long loan at West Brom and has now signed on for a season at Everton.

On the beat: Romelu Lukaku touches down in Scotland. He moved to Everton from Chelsea on loan on deadline day

Christian Benteke
Club: Aston Villa Position: Striker Value: £16m

A stunning debut season in the Premier League at Aston Villa after a £7m move from Genk. His 22 goals in all competitions last season had some of the bigger clubs in the Premier League trying to sign him, but he penned a new four-year contract at Villa Park after withdrawing a transfer request.

Prolific: Christian Benteke walks out for Belgium (above) and celebrates one of his many goals for Aston Villa (below)