If Mourinho really feels under no pressure from his boss Roman Abramovich to play the Ukrainian striker, then what other reason can there be for his persistence in starting with Shevchenko?
Hernan Crespo was never given such largesse by Mourinho, and yet he looked twice the player in the Premiership compared to his old Serie A rival.
Mourinho talks a good game when he claims Chelsea are confident of catching Manchester United but unless he takes decisive action there is a growing danger that he will experience the nasty taste of defeat for the first time since he joined in the annual race for the Premiership.
The arrival of Shevchenko and the other summer signing Michael Ballack has distorted the team to such an extent that Chelsea have become vulnerable to other managers' tactics. A year ago, their overwhelming dominance in player-power made it almost impossible for mere tactics to thwart them.
Mourinho will probably try to sign an attacking right-back such as Miguel in the January transfer window so that he and Ashley Cole can provide the width that the team lack, but that will be merely papering over the cracks.
As Arsenal showed on Sunday afternoon, a five-man midfield with two dangerous wide players forces the full-backs into the defensive positions for the majority of the game and Chelsea's star-studded midfield, far from being untouchable, find themselves crowded off the ball.
And how any manager can choose to leave a player of the calibre of Arjen Robben on the bench is beyond belief. It would be akin to Sir Alex Ferguson leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of his side - and if he had done that this season you can be sure United would not be currently top of the pile.
Mourinho can always argue that Robben is at his most dangerous - and for that matter Shaun Wright-Phillips - when they come on to test tiring opponents but that would be taking self-justification too far.
As was the case against the Gunners, by that time the damage can already have been done, leaving Ferguson rubbing his hands together with glee in front of his TV.
So what are Mourinho's options?
He certainly needs to restore Robben to the team for the Dutchman would certainly be an untouchable in any other side.
If the Chelsea boss decides that he must, for reasons of office politics, stick with Shevchenko then the only other option is to rotate Ballack, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien because they all bring similar qualities to the team whereas Robben brings something completely different.
Of course, many neutrals will be hoping Mourinho maintains the status quo.
After all it is some years before there has been an exciting a title race as this, so long may it continue.
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