World Cup 2018 Group A: Fixtures, standings, squads & full details on Russia & Egypt group

Goal brings you all the details of the Group A fixtures including fixtures, standings and squads for Russia and Egypt

This year's World Cup finals kicks off with Russia vs Saudi Arabia playing the first fixture on June 14 in a a Group A tie in Moscow.

Russia gets things underway as they are the home nation, and Group A is one of the more memorable of the competition – featuring Egypt, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia and a chance for current and past Liverpool strikers Mohamed Salah and Luis Suarez to battle it out.

Goal will take a look at the rundown of the Group A fixtures ahead of the June start, as well as what to expect from each team and more.

World Cup 2018 - Group A Fixtures

The most exciting tie in the group takes place just one day after the tournament starts officially on June 15, with Egypt and Uruguay clashing in Ekaterinburg.

It is easily the most high-profile of the matches and features star strikers Suarez and Salah squaring off against each other. Salah has replaced Suarez in the hearts of Liverpool fans after the Egyptian hit the ground running in his first season at Anfield, breaking a slew of scoring records and netting 44 goals in all competitions.

Salah even broke Suarez's own record – the most league goals scored by a player in their debut season at Liverpool – and the Barcelona forward would want to exact revenge on the Egyptian.

Salah's World Cup hopes seemed to be in danger after his clash with Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final against Real Madrid – but early reports have confirmed that he will be out for three weeks. The 25-year-old is a national treasure, dubbed "The Egyptian King" by national fans and Liverpool fans alike, and led his country to the finals by scoring a 95th-minute penalty against Congo, which means that Egypt will be appearing in their first World Cup in almost three decades.

Uruguay, led by Edinson Cavani and Suarez, are expected to be favourites to make it out of the group stage alongside Egypt, though Russia – playing on home turf – could very well pull off a surprise. Suarez is top-scorer of the Uruguayan side with 50 goals and led his nation to victory in the Copa America final in 2011.

World Cup 2018 - Group A Table Standings

World Cup 2018 - Group A Squads

Russia's 23-man final squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev, Vladimir Gabulov, Andrey Lunyov;

Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Sergei Ignashevich, Fedor Kudryashov, Ilya Kutepov, Andrei Semyonov, Igor Smolnikov, Mario Fernandes;

Midfielders: Yury Gazinsky, Aleksandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev, Aleksandr Yerokhin, Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Zobnin, Daler Kuzyaev, Aleksandr Samedov, Anton Miranchuk, Denis Cheryshev;

Forwards: Aleksei  Miranchuk, Artem Dzyuba, Fedor Smolov.

Saudi Arabia squad

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al Owais (Al Ahli), Yasser Al Mosailem (Al Ahli), Abdullah Al Mayouf (Al Hilal).

Defenders: Mansoor Al Harbi (Al Ahli), Yasser Al Shahrani (Al Hilal) Mohammed Al Breik (Al Hilal), Motaz Hawsawi (Al Ahli), Osama Hawsawi (Al Hilal), Omar Hawsawi (Al Nassr), Ali Al Bulaihi (Al Hilal).

Midfielders: Abdullah Al Khaibari (Al Shabab), Abdulmalek Al Khaibri (Al Hilal), Abdullah Otayf (Al Hilal), Taiseer Al Jassim (Al Ahli), Houssain Al Mogahwi (Al Ahli), Salman Al Faraj, Mohamed Kanno (both Al Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al Shabab), Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal), Yahya Al Shehri (Al Nassr), Fahad Al Muwallad (Al Ittihad).

Forwards: Mohammad Al Sahlawi (Al Nassr), Muhannad Assiri (Al Ahli).

Egypt's final 23-man squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (Al Taawoun), Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Sherif Ekramy (Al Ahly).

Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahly), Saad Samir (Al Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Mohamed AbdelShafy (Al Fath), Ahmed Hegazi (West Brom), Ali Gabr (West Brom), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Omar Gaber (LAFC), Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh (Zamalek).

Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Abdel-Razik Shikabala (Al Raed), Abdallah El-Said (Al Ahli), Sam Morsy (Wigan), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Mahmoud Kahraba (Ittihad), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Kasimpasa), Amr Warda (Atromitos).

Forwards: Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).

Uruguay 23-man final squad:

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera, Martin Silva, Martin Campana;

Defenders: Diego Godin, Sebastian Coates, Jose Maria Gimenez, Maxi Pereira, Gaston Silva, Martin Caceres, Guillermo Varela;

Midfielders: Nahitan Nandez, Lucas Torreira, Matias Vecino, Rodrigo Bentancur, Carlos Sanchez, Cristian Rodriguez, Diego Laxalt, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Jonathan Urretaviscaya;

Forwards: Maximiliano Gomez, Cristhian Stuani, Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez