Ross Hutchins and Colin Fleming
This will be Britain's first tie since their promotion to the Euro/Africa Zone Group I and, make no mistake about it, the step up in quality will be very significant.
Slovakia number one Lukas Lacko has a false ranking of 65, because he is actually much better than that: he really is a class act.
Lacko is a mercurial player because he is far too inconsistent, but he has immense talent and will surely break into the world's top 50 this year.
It will be a huge step up for James Ward and Dan Evans with Andy Murray out of the tie, and the difference in the quality of the opposition following their promotion will be vast.
A lot depends on Lacko because, while he is a very exciting player, he can also be a bit of a liability in terms of his concentration and application on and off the court.
The 24-year-old should comfortably win both his singles matches, and that puts real pressure on Ward and Evans to produce a victory along with Ross Hutchins and Colin Fleming in the doubles.
There is no doubt that Britain should win the doubles match because Hutchins and Fleming have blossomed into a very fine partnership, but the visitors must find a couple of wins from somewhere in the single.
Martin Klizan is likely to be the Slovakia number two, and he is ranked at number 120 — still higher than both Ward and Evans.
Klizan is not in Lacko's class, but he has real pedigree and, at just 22-years-old, is likely to show a real improvement over the next year, both in terms of his all-round game and his world ranking.
James Ward and Dan Evans
Equally, Ward has really developed over the last 18 months and anyone who saw him play at the Queen's Club last year will know just how dangerous he can be when he gets his serve right.
He has really kicked on over the last year and he will have to step up and produce a positive, attacking game because he is now — by default with Murray out — Britain's top player and the team leader.
The trouble is that Ward needs to be at his absolute peak if he is to beat Klizan, and Evans would need to be inspired to an even greater extent against the man coached by Karol Kucera.
It is extremely difficult to see either Ward or Evans getting any joy from their matches against Lacko, so the tie really hinges on Klizan's two rubbers.
There is no doubt that if Britain do manage to win this tie it will go down as a monumental achievement.
It would count as the biggest win for team GB for a number of years, and coach Leon Smith will know that he has a great deal to offer with Murray absent.
The British number one is right to pull out of the tie because his coach Ivan Lendl is very big on peaking at the right moments in the year, and he has to protect his fitness.
Murray never needs much input from Smith when he is playing, but this will be the kind of tie that brings out the best in the GB coach because he will have a lot to contribute in terms of helping Ward and Evans.
Slovakia represent an extremely difficult test for Britain and the hosts are the favourites. But if Smith's men can produce an unlikely win, it will be an exceptional effort.
My prediction is a 3-2 win for Slovakia with Lacko to win both of his matches and Klizan beating Evans. Ward can beat Klizan, and the GB duo will win the doubles.
Follow the Davis Cup LIVE on British Eurosport 2 from February 10-12 with the first singles rubbers getting underway from 2.45pm on Friday.
The Braehead Arena faithful
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