Having started our Group D campaign with a victory over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, the Blues will look to make it two wins from two games when we take on the Brazilian giants at Lincoln Financial Field.

Palmer, as has become customary, was a key figure in our tournament opener. The England international was involved in the build-up to both our goals against LAFC and will, if selected, want to make a decisive impact against Flamengo.

But it's not just the prospect of helping the Blues cement ourselves atop Group D that will spur the 23-year-old on, there is a more personal reason why he will want to make his mark against the side that currently tops the Brazilian Serie A table.

‘My uncle lives in Brazil and he messaged me yesterday that they’re one of the biggest teams in the country,’ Cole explained prior to our final pre-match training session, which took place in the blazing Philadelphia sun yesterday (Thursday).

‘It’s all they’re talking about, so I expect it to be a good game. My uncle has lived there for 10 years, and he has messaged me saying, ‘Please score!’

Football fans in Brazil will be well aware of Palmer's talents. It is the same for countless countries across the world; he has become a global star after arriving at Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

Yet with such notoriety comes pressure and expectation, and Cole has explained how he handles that and what he does to switch off from the demands of the game.

He said: ‘Pressure gets to me sometimes – it happens to everyone – but obviously, it’s one of those things. Most of the time, you just try to ignore it.

‘I still do the same things now to deal with it that I did before I came to Chelsea. I just think that it’s just a game of footy – it’s not life or death. I like to go and play five-a-side or go to the astro, I just like to do normal things to take my mind off it.’

Chelsea's game against Flamengo kicks off at 7pm UK time on Friday. You can watch that and every other game at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 live for free by signing up with DAZN here.