Cole Palmer’s role in this Chelsea side has been a topic of conversation since the turn of the year, with the former Manchester City man seemingly facing a slight drop-off in his performances in 2025, certainly when it comes to goal contribution metrics after such a fast start to life at Chelsea. Palmer looked much more like himself in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Benfica, having three shots on target and providing an assist across the 120 minutes. 

Palmer has been deployed in slightly different positions at the Club World Cup as Enzo Maresca trials a midfield three of Lavia, Fernandez, and Caicedo; he may also have Andrey Santos in his thinking as Chelsea prepare for next season. Palmer has had 12 shots across his three games at the Club World Cup (3.78 per 90), with three of these attempts finding the target (0.94 per 90). 

Palmer was reliable when backing him to have a shot on target during the 24/25 Premier League season. The 23-year-old had 126 shots across his 37 appearances in the English top flight (3.55 per 90) with 51 of these attempts finding the target (1.44 per 90). 

Estevão finds himself in the rare position of going up against his future club. Set to join the Blues after this tournament, the young talent will be keen to catch the eye of his soon-to-be manager and teammates.

At Palmeiras, both Estevão and Allan serve as key outlets. While the team is defensively structured, it relies heavily on its wide players to push forward and create attacking opportunities.

Estevão has taken eight shots in his four Club World Cup matches (averaging 2.44 per 90 minutes) and is recording 2.04 shots per 90 across 11 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A this season. These figures could see a slight uptick, given his motivation to impress ahead of his move.

Chelsea will feel confident about reaching the Club World Cup final, given their favourable position in the draw. A win against Palmeiras would set up a semi-final clash with either Fluminense or Al Hilal - opponents who, while not to be taken lightly, present a more manageable challenge than facing the likes of Real Madrid, Dortmund, PSG, or Bayern. Of course, Chelsea will eventually need to overcome one of those heavyweights to win the trophy, but they can start by securing victory here.

Palmeiras have been defensively cautious throughout the tournament, grinding out two goalless draws so far. Chelsea will likely control possession and patiently work to break down their low block, a scenario they are familiar with. The Blues looked sharp in their 4-1 win over Benfica, spurred on by a sense of injustice after a controversial late penalty decision following a lengthy weather delay.

With the quality in their squad, Chelsea should be able to unlock Palmeiras’ defence and establish a comfortable lead. They will have learned from their group stage defeat to Flamengo and will be further motivated by the opportunity the draw has handed them. Compared to the tougher path they might have faced, this route to the final looks promising for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Liam Delap saw limited involvement in Chelsea’s 4-1 extra-time win over Benfica in the last 16, being substituted after 80 minutes. However, he could play a more prominent role in this match as Chelsea look to break down a deep-lying defence. The young striker offers a physical presence in the box - something the Blues have lacked with Nicolas Jackson, who isn’t as dominant in the air. Delap provides a different option for Chelsea when facing compact defences.

He has already made an impact at the Club World Cup, scoring against Esperance Tunis and assisting against LAFC in the group stage. His ability to hold up play and attack crosses could prove vital against a stubborn Palmeiras side. With Chelsea likely to dominate possession, Delap’s movement and strength may be key to unlocking the opposition.

Given his recent contributions, Delap will be eager to seize his opportunity if selected. His physicality and aerial threat add a new dimension to Chelsea’s attack, which could be crucial in breaking down a disciplined defensive setup. The young forward has shown he can deliver in this tournament—now he’ll want to make his mark in the knockout stages.

Richard Rios has been really impressive in the middle of the park for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup so far, he’s been awarded man of the match in two of his four games in the competition so far, also picking up one yellow card across these fixtures which came in the group stages against Al Ahly. 

Rios has picked up four yellow cards across his nine appearances in the Brazilian Serie A this season - no Palmeiras player has been shown more cautions than Rios in the Brazilian top flight this term. He’ll be up against Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in what is set to be his toughest task of the tournament so far, which should see the 25-year-old catch the eye of the referee with his incredibly promising card record from the domestic campaign.

Chelsea drew seven saves from Anatoliy Trubin across 120 minutes in their 4-1 win over Benfica in their round of 16 clash to set up this quarter-final tie. Weverton could find himself just as busy here, with Chelsea expected to do a lot of the heavy lifting in trying to dismantle what is expected to be a stubborn low block from Palmeiras. 

Weverton has been forced into making eight saves across his four games at the Club World Cup (1.85 per 90) but we can expect this to increase seeing as Chelsea will offer Palmeiras the biggest attacking threat they’ve faced in the competition so far which is likely to increase the workload on the Palmeiras shot stopper.