Mourinho's 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.

Mourinho said he had nine players who were guaranteed first team places when fit and admitted Shevchenko, who has scored six times in 20 appearances since his summer move from Milan, was not one of them.

"You think if Joe Cole has an amazing game against Werder Bremen I don't play him for Manchester United?" Mourinho said.

"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."

The full list of Mourinho's untouchables is: 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.

The Chelsea manager denied he was under pressure to play Shevchenko from the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, and warned that he would head straight for the exit door if the Russian 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."

Shevchenko was widely quoted earlier this week as saying that his style of game "does not suit" Mourinho and that, if he was not wanted at Stamford Bridge, he would gladly accept a return to Milan on a loan deal in January, as has been widely predicted.

Chelsea denied that the striker had made the remarks and issued a statement from him in which he stressed his commitment to staying in London and winning trophies with his new employers.

What is clear that Shevchenko has yet to display the sharpness in a Chelsea shirt that made him Europe's dealiest finisher during his time at Milan, although a superbly-taken goal against Levski Sofia in midweek may be a sign that his predatory edge is returning.

Mourinho puts the striker's mixed form down to problems adapting to English football.

"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 have in Thierry Henry the best example of that. I was not here but I know he's the best goalscorer in the last years in this country, amazing player, but he scored one goal in 12 Premiership matches when he first changed Juventus for Arsenal.

"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."

Mourinho admitted in the interview that his relationship with Arsene Wenger, who brings Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, has been frosty but underlined his respect for the Frenchman's achievements in north London.

"I don't think we are best of friends. Not even friends. But I have 200 percent respect for the work he's done over the years."

Mourinho also called for reserve-team football to be scrapped and Chelsea to be allowed to field a B team in one of the lower divisions, as Real Madrid do in Spain.

"This country has to think about a different way to give competition to young players," he said.