Chelsea in Brazil: Who Will Have a Great World Cup?

With the domestic and European season reaching its end, eyes are starting to turn to Brazil—and this summer's hugely anticipated World Cup.

Few in Chelsea's ranks will get much of a summer break, with so many in the squad expected to be flying over for the tournament.

Who will be the Blues' big stars at this World Cup? And what impact will that have on Chelsea?

1. Eden Hazard

Matt Dunham

Who other than the mercurial Belgian could top this list?

Eden Hazard has been the creative dynamo who has powered Chelsea to unexpected heights this season.

Lauded by Jose Mourinho as the greatest young player in the world, as reported in the Fulham Chronicle, the stage is set tantalisingly for him to impress in Brazil this summer.

This will be the 23-year-old's first World Cup, and he is undoubtedly the star of a Belgian side that is itself a wonderfully exciting prospect.

With a relatively straightforward group containing Algeria, Russian and South Korea, there is the potential for him to hit the ground running.

If Belgium perform, and they emulate the successes that saw them unexpectedly reach the semi-finals in 1986, Hazard could even find himself in contention for the Golden Boot.

2. David Luiz

Christophe Ena

Chelsea's Brazilian centre-half has had a season mostly to forget.

Seemingly a fringe player in Mourinho's plans, he has rarely started at centre-half and even more rarely impressed there.

He has made the occasional foray into holding midfield, where he has generally looked better. But chances to show-off have been few and far between.

Hence, some may find his inclusion this high on my list unexpected. Here's my rationale...

With a question mark hovering over his Chelsea future, and little opportunity to show his talents on the domestic front, David Luiz needs to have a good World Cup.

There is an expectation that this summer may see him move out of Chelsea, per Martin Lipton of The Mirror, but the club he has long been linked with, Barcelona, has just been slapped with a transfer ban, per BBC Sport.

Brazil are at home, they are the favourites, and this is David Luiz's shop window.

Every Brazilian boy dreams of playing for the Selecao in a World Cup, and the commanding performance the defender put into Chelsea's generally abortive attempt to win the Club World Cup in Japan showed that he does rise to the occasion.

3. Cesar Azpilicueta

Matt Dunham

The alternative candidate for Chelsea's Player Of The Year award, Cesar Azpilicueta, has pulled a barnstorming Premier League season out of nowhere.

Seen as a squad player on his signing, he has made the left-back position his own. And some suggest that if only he could be in two places at once, he would have taken the right-back berth too.

Spain go to Brazil as World Champions. But, unusually, their presence there is being somewhat overshadowed by the expectations on the host nation and a weight of support for Germany's young side.

But the Spanish have proven that they are tournament specialists—write them off at your peril.

Their group is difficult to predict. Australia shouldn't bother them too much, but in the Netherlands and Chile they are matched with two sides packed with potential that often fails to materialise.

If Azpilicueta gets the nod for the Spain XI, it will be difficult to shift him. This could be a huge summer for the 24-year-old.

4. Thibaut Courtois

Paul White

The second of two Belgians in my list has this week taken on the mantle of football's most talked-about man.

Thibaut Courtois, on loan at Atletico Madrid, will be the focus of half the world if, as expected, he lines up against Chelsea in this month's Champions League semi-final.

Over the course of three years in Spain, his reputation has risen along with the league placing of Atletico.

And, with Beligium, he has a real chance to shine in this World Cup.

Many are talking-up the golden generation of Belgian talent, and Courtois is a huge part of that.

Once the knockout stages commence, the World Cup tends to turn a select number of goalkeepers into living legends—increasingly so, as more and more games go to penalties.

This summer looks like being a pivotal one for both the domestic and international future of the 21-year-old.

5. Andre Schurrle

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Many expect Germany to carry the best hopes for Europe over in Brazil.

After a rollercoaster last World Cup, the Germans go into this one still with a great deal of young talent but with added experience.

Combining flair with the solidity always expected of Die Mannschaft, Andre Schurrle almost encapsulates the spirit of the whole squad.

Schurrle's season has improved as it has developed, and with the business end of the English and European fixtures upon us, he has found a place in many Chelsea fans' hearts.

His free scoring is valued by club and country, and he will be needed in a tough-looking group that includes Portugal, Ghana and the USA.

6 Gary Cahill

Kirsty Wigglesworth

If England manage to get off the plane in Brazil without half the players falling down the steps, they will have exceeded the expectations of most of the public.

Never has there been so little expectation of the Three Lions at a World Cup.

Chelsea's involvement in the squad is likely to be more remarkable for the men who don't make the plane than those who do—John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard can all probably spend much of the summer on the beach.

And then there is Gary Cahill.

At 28, this is Cahill's first World Cup. It may be his only one.

In the past, at almost every opportunity, he has proved that he can compete on the big stage. Since deputising for Terry in the 2012 Champions League final, he has repeatedly shown that he has both the ability and the composure to do it.

A lot depends on whether Roy Hodgson's men can make it past a group including Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

If they can, then Cahill is likely to have been one of those instrumental in making it happen.