'Sheva not untouchable' - Mourinho

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LONDON, England -- Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has increased speculation about the future of 30 million pound ($58.77 millon) striker Andriy Shevchenko by claiming that the Ukrainian star is not among his core first-choice players.

"I play the best players at the time. Sheva is not untouchable because of the way he is playing.

"Claude Makelele is untouchable because of the way he plays. Michael Essien is untouchable because of the way he plays. It is not because I love them."

Mourinho named nine players whom he considered had that status, Essien, Makelele, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and goalkeeper Petr Cech, currently recovering from a serious head injury.

His remarks, made in an interview to promote a children's cancer charity, were published a day after Shevchenko was forced to deny comments attributed to him which implied he was contemplating a return to Italy less than six months after moving to London.

Shevchenko has scored just six times in 20 appearances since his summer move from AC Milan and has struggled to adjust to the pace of the Premier League.

"It's much easier for a defender to adapt than a striker," he argued. "The way football is played in Italy and England is completely different.

"We need to give him (Shevchenko) time. I am giving him time. The good thing is that he is not happy with the way he is performing.

"He's working very hard. After every game we now have feedback meetings where I can explain to him what I think we have to change. He is going in the right direction," added Mourinho.

Dynamo Kiev coach Anatoly Demyanenko said he doubted Mourinho would ever let the Ukrainian go.

"I have practically no doubts that Shevchenko will stay with Chelsea. Even if he passionately made the case for leaving, it's not altogether certain they would let him go," he said.

"Mourinho would not act against his own interests. In London, Shevchenko has had to become more of a team player. And it clearly is working."

Dynamo president Ihor Surkis dismissed any notion that Shevchenko was failing to perform for Chelsea.

"Andriy is playing in a stable fashion and doing what he is supposed to do -- score," he told the daily.

"Could he come back to Kiev? I don't think that's realistic, but if (Chelsea's Russian owner) Roman Abramovich agreed to loan Shevchenko to another club, I would not rule out talks. Why should others lay claim to Andriy and not us?"

Mourinho denied reports that he was under pressure to play Shevchenko from Abramovich, and warned that he would head straight for the exit door if the tycoon started interfering in team matters.

"For sure (I would quit)," Mourinho said. "But Roman is very intelligent. He would never do this. If he does this, it's because he doesn't trust the manager. If he doesn't trust the manager he has enough money to sack me, give me compensation, send me home and bring another one in."

Champions Chelsea, who trail Manchester United by six points in this year's title race, entertain third-placed Arsenal in a crunch encounter on Sunday.

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