Mason Greenwood of Manchester United Photo: VCG

There is no doubt that the ­COVID-19 pandemic has had untold impacts on the European football season, but that is not to say that all of them are negative.

While Euro 2020 has not taken place as planned, in a continent-wide tournament that would have begun in Rome on June 12 and concluded at Wembley Stadium on July 12, there could still be silver linings for the nations who have qualified for Europe's showpiece.

The 24-team tournament will instead be played from June 11, 2021, and it remains to be seen how it will adapt to the "new normal," as the world has deemed the post-pandemic situation, whenever and however it might manifest.

While that is bad news for some of the elder statesmen of the European game, of which there are many, that 12-month delay is not all bad, though. 

Instead it allows for some of European football's shining lights to establish themselves at their clubs - and not just next season, based on what we have seen so far from the resumption of current campaigns.

Here are some of them who might be challenging the bigger names in the game for their national shirts come next summer.

Mason Greenwood - England

The Manchester United forward has had a standout debut season with the full team, so far he has scored 16 goals in 43 games - with a fine run coming since football restarted in June when he scored six goals in six games. 

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised the forward in many ways, not least for filling out during lockdown, but most of all for what he can achieve.

"When you play for Man United, I think that's a test that's good enough and difficult enough," his club manager Solskjaer said. 

"If you can handle playing for Man United then you can handle playing for any team and Mason's got the qualities that not many others have.

"So he could play for the England full team or Under-21s, I don't really mind. I know he's doing well for us and it's great to have him here. Mason's a naturally good finisher, so he'll always score goals."

Greenwood will have already been on Gareth Southgate's radar before lockdown but the 18-year-old's composure since has been lauded far and wide - in far contrast to  his shots. 

He leads the league in shots on target, with 57.1 percent on June 13. 

He followed that with three goals in three shots on target before missing against Aston Villa, in a game he later scored.

Ansu Fati - Spain

Another breakout season and Fati's is arguably more impressive. 

The Spain under-21 forward burst on to the scene with a goal against Osasuna aged just 16 last September - becoming the club's youngest scorer in the process. 

He followed that with a goal and an assist at when Barcelona played Valencia later the same month, on his first La Liga start. 

The youngster was sent off post-COVID-19 return against Espanyol in the Catalan derby but has been linked with a move to Manchester United. 

Guinea-Bissau-born Fati is also the youngest scorer in UEFA Champions League history and it was expected he would have been included in Spain's squad for their canceled March friendlies.

Phil Foden - England

Pep Guardiola clearly rates the Stockport-born midfielder. 

"I have said many times in press conferences, but maybe not said it in front of him, Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager," the Catalan said in July 2019 and a year later the player is even further ahead. 

"I don't want to say anything wrong but Gareth Southgate has an incredible talent in his hands for the national team," he said after Foden helped to beat English Premier League champions Liverpool 4-0 earlier this month.

"I've seen many players in my life - I have trained incredible, incredible players and Phil will be one of them." 

He is going nowhere as he has been earmarked to replace the outgoing David Silva in Guardiola's midfield.

Bukayo Saka - England

The Arsenal wingback has been another revelation this season as he has pressed his place in the first team. 

Saka, who Arsenal center forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang calls "Petit Piment" or "Little Chilli," has set up 11 goals and scored four more for the senior team in 35 appearances across all competitions in his debut season.

"I call him this [Little Chilli] but in French so it is 'Petit Piment,'" he said. "It's because he is like a little chilli, so much energy, so much power and is quite small so it's funny," he told Sky Sports.

Saka, who helped Arsenal to a win over Wolves with a post-COVID-19 English Premier League goal as the club looks to qualify for European football next season, has recently signed a new deal at the Emirates and can expect full international recognition as England struggle for a left back.

Eduardo Camavinga - France

Perhaps the most expected of all these young footballers to make the full national team, Camavinga has excelled as a 16-year-old in France's Ligue 1. 

He dominated in a win over champions elect PSG last August and has since impressed for Rennes. His relish for the tackle has seen him linked with Real Madrid.

Joshua Zirkzee - Netherlands

Bayern Munich is not the club for allowing youngsters in with no reason so Zirkzee's arrival has made Europe stand up and take notice. 

He is Bayern's third-youngest Bundesliga scorer now and with the free-scoring Robert Lewandowski not getting any younger is expected to play more in coming months. 

The Netherlands lack a striker as Ronald Koeman looks to next summer.

Youssoufa Moukoko - Germany

A frightening record in Borussia Dortmund's youth team suggests a strong future for the 15-year-old. 

He scored 35 in 20 for the under-19s by March to match 50 in 28 for the under-17s last season. 

He will be 16 in November and a runout for Dortmund, even with free-scoring Erling Haaland in the lineup, cannot be far off. 

Continue his form and the German national side will not be far off. 
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