Bonne, Darikwa and Chicksen: a scout report

As Zimbabwe aim to qualify for the 2019 African Cup of Nations, Macauley Bonne, Tendayi Darikwa and Adam Chicksen are all hoping to be part of Knowledge Musona's plans - but how are they getting on in England? We take a look.

Macauley Bonne

During the striker's four-year stint at Colchester United, which started his senior career, he showed glimpses of real potential. He frequently made a significant difference from the bench, even when the U's were in League One and there are many fans who felt he was unlucky not to start more than 19 league games over that period.

The question surrounding the striker, who still managed to score 15 goals for the club in all competitions, was whether he could lead the line on his own from the outset. He has a weedy frame and tends to do his best work picking up loose balls or running onto through passes.

For that reason, it is perhaps unsurprising that at National League outfit Leyton Orient he has formed a fine partnership with Josh Koroma, then more recently James Alabi.

The O's are currently 3/4 favourites with Betway as of 8th October to aid their title bid by beating Hartlepool.

One imagines that Bonne will need to get back in the EFL before becoming part of Musona's plans for Zimbabwe, but his and the East London club's current form suggests that won't take too long.

Tendayi Darikwa

There's two sides to Tendayi Darikwa.

At his best, he can use his pace and power to great effect with marauding forward runs, which not only stretch the play but also draw the opposing winger back into their defensive third.

He also proved his fitness at Chesterfield, where he started every League One match en route to the play-offs in 2014-15.

While Darikwa can produce the occasional decent cross, there is a rawness about his game which can be a weakness as well as a strength.

When under pressure, his passing can at times be sloppy and he can also lack defensive awareness, especially when dealing with high balls, despite being relatively tall at 6'2".

The fact Darikwa has only made one appearance for Zimbabwe would suggest he is yet to impress the international managers he has worked with and, at 26, this should be the point at which he hits his peak.

Adam Chicksen

Bradford City's recruitment has been much-maligned over the last 18 months, but Adam Chicksen is regarded as one of the better additions the club have made in that time.

He might not be the most exciting left-back in the world, nor does he have the pace to strike genuine fear into opponents; that might, perhaps, be one of the reasons why he didn't quite become a regular at Brighton.

He does, however, bring many qualities to the table. Firstly, his deliveries from deep are often accurate, which is ideal for a side with a target man in the Charlie Wyke mould.

Secondly, he is defensively sound. Because he doesn't have the natural pace that other full-backs have, he has been forced to acquire the art of waiting for the right moment to make a challenge, rather than rushing into them and possibly leaving his teammates exposed.

Thirdly, Chicksen is a very dependable left-back in that his performance levels rarely fluctuate.

It remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old, currently injured with a fractured fibula, will play at higher than League One between now and the end of his career.

While he is at that level though, he will remain a steady and reliable performer.