Another chance for falling star to shine

Bolton v Chelsea:When Andriy Shevchenko joined Chelsea, Jose Mourinho described it as "a day when the dream became reality". Six months later the words dream and Shevchenko appear in the same sentence about as regularly as Steve Harmison and wicket. Some must imagine the Ukrainian hopes the episode will turn out to be a bad dream and he will find himself back in Milan.

The reality is Shevchenko is determined to succeed at Chelsea but doubts are growing about whether he will be able to produce the form that prompted a delighted Roman Abramovich to part with £30 million to purchase him in May. A peripheral performance at Old Trafford on Sunday was the latest occasion on which the striker made little impact, and it came after suggestions that the scale of the match would bring out the best in him.

Tonight's game at Bolton is unlikely to have him salivating but Chelsea have made big statements there over the past two seasons, clinching the title with a win in 2005 and taking an important step towards retaining it with another victory a year later. Shevchenko, if selected, could make a notable statement of his own by shining at a venue that traditionally tests a visitor's quality and character.

Regardless, it remains too early to write him off, given the scale of his past achievements. His five goals from 18 Chelsea appearances, including the Community Shield, compare favourably with Thierry Henry's start at Arsenal. On this day in 1999 Henry had scored four times in 18 games. The Frenchman was, though, just slipping into the form that would see him finish the season with 26 domestic and European goals.

The comparison has to be treated with care, even if it illustrates that acclimatising to the Premiership takes time. Henry was just reverting to playing as a central striker after a period on the flanks, was frequently used as a substitute and, at 22, was always likely to improve. Shevchenko turned 30 in September and questions are being asked about whether Chelsea finally got him a year or so too late.

Such issues were not being debated with anything like the same frequency only 18 days ago when he scored in his third consecutive Chelsea game, against Watford, and it must be noted that he has started only twice since then.

Yet one of the most striking aspects of his recent displays has been a lack of pace. Against West Ham and Werder Bremen he appeared to have got beyond a defender only to be caught and dispossessed.

"You think each week that goes by, 'Is he going to get a bit sharper and fitter and stronger?' and at the moment it doesn't quite seem to be happening," says the former Chelsea midfielder Gavin Peacock, although he emphasises the need to allow Shevchenko a period of adjustment.

"I don't think he's as quick as he used to be. He's lost half a yard and Shevchenko was quick but never Henry quick. Having lost half a yard it is stopping him getting there but I think he has got enough clever movement, if used in the right way, to be effective."

A striker interesting Chelsea now, according to reports, is Valencia's David Villa but the Spanish club's president, Juan Soler, said yesterday: "We have no intention of selling him. But should any club be interested they could sit down and negotiate his buy-out clause, which is currently worth 150 million."

Even Chelsea might consider that steep.

Bolton have received some good news on the injury front, with full-back Nicky Hunt likely to play despite limping out of the Gunners triumph with a hamstring injury. And even Quinton Fortune, who suffered an ankle problem in the same game, might not be out for quite as long as Bolton originally feared, although he will miss the confrontation with Jose Mourinho's men.