Chelsea striker Andrii Shevchenko is angry at suggestions that his presence at Stamford Bridge is undermining the position of coach Jose Mourinho.
The Ukrainian has been cited as the root of a conflict between manager Jose Mourinho and the club’s owner Roman Abramovich.
“I am being made a scapegoat for things that have nothing to do with me,” Shevchenko told The Times.
“My contract runs for four years,” he added. “I am here now and I am staying here. I am continuing to work to fit inside the team.
“I have been attacked from all sides but I intend to carry on. I will grit my teeth. I am not a quitter I just want to be kept out of the politics.”
Shevchenko has struggled to fit into Mourinho’s plans since his £30m move last summer, and reports suggest that Abramovich has vetoed any new attacking reinforcements, demanding instead that the coach utilise the underperforming Ukrainian.
Shevchenko has been accused of reporting back about team matters to the Russian, an allegation the player strenuously denies.
“Those rumours are all lies,” said Shevchenko. “A lot of things have been said which aren’t true.
“They have caused a lot of hurt to myself and my family. I am a footballer, not a politician.
“My job is to play, that’s all. It is what I’ve been doing since I was nine-years-old. People are crossing the limits in what they are saying.”
Shevchenko, who has missed the last two matches through injury, is fit ahead of the game at Liverpool on Saturday, but the forward has received no assurances that he will actually play.
“If he decides I am not capable I just have to work harder,” said Shevchenko. “It doesn’t matter what I think.”
