The Blues brushed Port Vale aside at Stamford Bridge in the quarter-finals, with Santos joined on the score sheet by fellow Brazilians Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian, as well as Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo and Alejandro Garnacho.

That, along with Sunday’s draw for the next round, teed up an enticing semi-final against old FA Cup rivals Leeds United at Wembley, a prospect which already has our midfielder excited.

‘For me, it is a dream,’ said Santos. ‘I have played at Maracana, now I have the chance to play at Wembley. I am very happy and I hope we can do our job and win the game there.’

Reflecting on Saturday’s win, the 21-year-old was pleased with our emphatic win over League One opposition, but knows tougher challenges await the Blues.

Among them is our next match, a difficult Premier League encounter with Manchester City at the Bridge, but one which could prove crucial in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

‘I’m very happy with our performance, it was a big win and a good performance,’ he continued. ‘Now we have to move on and recover well, because next week we have another big game.

‘Now we have to work hard because next week we have a very important home game against Manchester City, and we will have to focus on ourselves and do our job. That is the most important thing for us.’

That need for focus means the players putting other concerns – including the upcoming FIFA World Cup this summer – out of their minds, to give everything in pursuit of a successful conclusion to Chelsea’s season.

‘An ambition for many players is to be in the World Cup with their national team – it’s the same for me,' Andrey concluded. 'But I know that first I have to work very hard here at Chelsea to help us achieve our targets.’