Shevchenko given Desailly backing

By Mandeep Sanghera

Former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly insists the club's misfiring striker Andriy Shevchenko will come good.

Desailly says Chelsea must win the Champions League this season - and the France legend believes Shevchenko will be key to that ambition.

"Shevchenko is a top player and does not need to prove himself," Desailly told BBC Sport.

"For the moment, he is not performing. Let's wait and I'm sure he will help Chelsea win the Champions League."

He added: "Shevchenko has Champions League experience. He likes to be the one that everyone is focused on.

"I'm sure that with the Champions League everyone will look at him and the motivation can come from there.

"Also, he feels like he came to Chelsea to win things. Last year, although it was good, they only won the two cups domestically and he needs more."

Shevchenko made his first outing of the season for Chelsea against Blackburn on Saturday and showed little sign of improving on the disappointing form of last term.

The Ukraine international scored just four Premier League goals and three in the Champions League during last season following a £30m move from another of Desailly's former clubs, AC Milan.

On Saturday he missed two gilt-edged chances against Blackburn as Chelsea drew 0-0.

Desailly believes restoring Shevchenko's confidence is key to getting the best out of him.

"It is very difficult to leave AC Milan because it is a family club," added the former France international, who has been organising a charity match between a Marcel Desailly XI and Chelsea select team to be played at Stamford Bridge on 10 October.

"When you leave a club like that you need time to set up psychologically and he had a lot of problems to adapt himself to the English game and a new club.

"Even if you are a top player you might lose a bit in terms of you condition.

"As soon as he gets his confidence you will see the difference. He will be a different player."

Chelsea begin their Champions League campaign against Rosenborg on Tuesday and Desailly believes the club need to win the competition to rubberstamp their status as one of the world's biggest clubs.

"The consideration of Chelsea now around the world is that they are a club who have already won the Champions League but it's not the case," stated Desailly.

"Chelsea have not won the Champions League once and we are giving them too much consideration. That's why this year they have to win it.

"For the last two years they have reached the semi-finals but it is not enough. We are expecting more with the quality of the team they have.

"I don't know if they can win it this year because there are plenty of major teams in the competition.

"We cannot say anything at the moment because Chelsea are not at a high level yet. They are not at the level to make the difference. But let's wait."

Former England skipper Alan Shearer believes Shevchenko is underperforming because he "does not feel loved" at Chelsea.

"We don't know whether he was the manager's signing or not and he's having a tough time," Shearer told BBC1's Match of the Day programme.

"He's come in and is certainly not the player we saw at Milan a couple of years' ago.

"Just have a look at the reaction of Mourinho (when Shevchenko missed a second-half chance against Bleckburn) - this is what tells me he's not loved at Chelsea.

"He's just not happy with him, is he? The problem is he doesn't feel loved at Chelsea."

BBC pundit Alan Hansen says he does not ever expect Shevchenko to come good.

"He can't run, that's the problem he's got," Hansen said. "If you can't run as a centre forward, you're in trouble."