5 young stars to watch when the UEFA Champions League returns

The tag of ‘glorified friendlies’ bestowed upon the UEFA Nations League is certainly understandable, particularly given it has been just over two months since the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup. 

Just as teams had begun to gather early-season momentum, they were faced with an earlier-than-usual international break which brought competitive club football to a halt for three weeks. 

Nonetheless, league action returns this weekend with the UEFA Champions League following next midweek after a thrilling curtain-raiser to this season’s competition. 

All five English sides involved secured maximum points, while Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all lived up to their pre-tournament expectations with opening wins. 

But which youngsters should you look out for when matchday two comes around? 

Jacobo Ramon - Como

An integral part of Como’s extraordinary rise to Europe’s premier competition, it’s unsurprising Ramon’s stellar performances at the heart of defence have caught its admirers. 

His €2.5 million move from Real Madrid last summer epitomises a bargain signing, asserting himself as a textbook ball-playing defender who has thrived under the tutelage of Cesc Fabregas and his possession-oriented system. 

The Spain U21 international’s 6’5” frame makes his composure on the ball all the more impressive as he is able to combine his aerial dominance with an ability to progress play up the pitch.

It certainly feels like a case of inevitability when Ramon makes the step up into Spain’s first-team, especially given the interest around him from the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea. 

However, his desire to remain in northern Italy to further his development is a testament to his maturity with his positive start to the season suggesting that decision is already beginning to pay dividends.

Como make the trip to face Feyenoord aiming to build on their emphatic victory over RB Leipzig, with Ramon set to play a key role in helping them enjoy a successful inaugural campaign in the competition.

Lewis Koumas - Liverpool 

Leading the line for Wales during the international break, the 21-year-old has been thrust into the first-team spotlight this season after loan stints in the Sky Bet Championship with Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City. 

Andoni Iraola’s arrival at Anfield has massively aided Koumas’ development, appearing on five occasions so far this term and starring in a Carabao Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur. 

He has not only made a seamless transition into the first-team set-up with the Reds, but has also broken through for his national team and totalled 241 minutes in four games across a gruelling 11-day period. 

With Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both carrying injuries, a trip to LASK provides Koumas with the ideal opportunity to stake a claim for a regular role in Iraola’s thinking against a side they are expected to beat. 

Regular minutes during the international break have hurt some in the Liverpool squad, none more so than Virgil Van Dijk, but Koumas’ match sharpness could see him earn a start in Austria. 

Givairo Read - Feyenoord 

An injury-hit 2025/26 campaign massively hindered the 20-year-old’s prospects of securing a big-money move in the summer, but he is already beginning to make amends this time around. 

Read has been at the heart of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side’s unbeaten start to the Eredivisie campaign, starting in all seven matches and thriving going forward in his right-back role. 

To rack up four assists at this early stage of the season is no mean feat and also a sign of things to come. 

Read will only benefit from a regular run of matches for the 16-time Eredivisie champions and has adapted to van Bronckhorst’s system to perfection, with his desire to progress into the final third a key facet of his manager’s approach. 

Their 5-1 defeat to Barcelona will not define their chances of progressing to the knockout stages, but the visit of Como will certainly provide a stern test. It will also be an intriguing examination for Read who may not have the license to roam forward as much due to Como’s firepower up front. 

Antonio Nusa - RB Leipzig 

Firmly on the radar of many following his stellar World Cup performances for Norway, it feels like, very much akin to Read, that a productive campaign could see him head to Europe’s elite next summer. 

The ex-Club Brugge man notched four goals and three assists in his second season with RB Leipzig, with his explosiveness and ability in one-vs-one situations primarily on the left catching the eye. 

Although Yan Diamonde stole the headlines on the opposite flank, it was in Norway’s North American tour where he shone with his creativity and pace as they reached the quarter-finals for the first time. 

He has started the Bundesliga season where he left off with two goals and two assists in four matches and their meeting with PSV Eindhoven already carries significance, given Leipzig then face daunting games against Real Madrid and Manchester City. 

It was far from a surprise to see Arsenal touted for a move for the 21-year-old in the summer to solve their left-wing dilemma and another impressive campaign will firmly put him in the shop window. 

Robin Risser - Lens 

Helping Lens push PSG all the way in the race for the Ligue 1 title while securing their return to the Champions League last term, the 21-year-old shot-stopper continues to flourish in northern France. 

Risser arrived at Stade Bollaert-Delelis last summer from Strasbourg following loan stints at Dijon and Red Star and his impact was immediate. 

Establishing himself as one of the finest young goalkeepers in Europe, he was the only ‘keeper under the age of 21 across Europe's top five leagues to register over ten clean sheets while aiding Lens' Coupe de France triumph with seven goals conceded throughout. 

An induction into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year was thoroughly deserved, but Risser will be eager to turn a slow start to the season around and earn his first clean sheet with his side already leaking nine goals in the league.

Aiming to follow up their 3-2 victory away at Slavia Prague, the France international will have to be on his best form against a threatening Sporting Lisbon attack.