Chelsea boss Graham Potter will be delighted with the performances of some of his players at the World Cup in Qatar, having welcomed the midseason World Cup break following a strenuous start to his Chelsea tenure.

Indeed, the Blues have not been performing to the standards their proud fanbase demands, having lost four of their past five matches across all competitions in the weeks preceding the international tournament in Qatar.

But with the seasonal pause, comes the chance to rectify wrongs and stabilise the ship, with the likes of USA’s Christian Pulisic and Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic playing vital roles for their respective nation.

But it is the 38-year-old Thiago Silva, still a colossus at the back for the dazzling Brazil, who has perhaps offered the displays throughout the tournament that offer the most promise for Potter.

Still starring

Silva is defying expectations, still a destructive defensive presence after an illustrious and lengthy career, and he is not quite showing signs of slowing down that will deter the likes of Potter and Brazil manager Tito from withdrawing him from contention just yet.

At the World Cup, Silva has started three matches, missing out during the tournament opener, and has contributed effectively as the five-time world champions secured victory in every match, and a place in the quarter-finals after emphatically dispatching South Korea.

During the previous fixture, the round-of-16 tie against the gallant Asian side, the Brazilian squad ripped them to shreds, and Silva played a vital role from the back, rebuffing the few meaningful Korean offences that were mustered and providing a composed presence at the back.

But crucially, the 112-cap international served a gorgeous assist to Richarlison for the second, combining to unravel the opposition backline like a loose ball of string.

As per Sofascore, Silva earned a match rating of 7.6, also making two interceptions and one tackle while completing all three of his duels, both aerial and on the ground.

By completing 94% of his passes too, Silva encapsulated his aura as a supreme modern centre-back, and cemented his unwavering position in the Brazilian starting line-up, as the nation chases World Cup glory for the first time in over 20 years.

And across his first two appearances at the tournament, he received a rating of 7.2 on each occasion, leading to a tournament average of 7.3, continuing to display a quality that belies his twilight years.

He's also notched a passing accuracy of 93%, despite registering around 76 attempts per game, so forget about Pulisic's contributions, Silva has arguably stole the show and it's his team still in the tournament in Qatar.

The “Rolls-Royce“, as described by Joe Cole to BT Sport (via The Sun), is not done yet, and Potter will seek to utilise his unparalleled defensive skills and knowledge to return to the right track at Stamford Bridge.