THREE weeks ago, as José Mourinho left the pitch in the Lokomotiv Stadium after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow, he made a promise to Valeri Gazzaev, the CSKA coach. Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, assured Gazzaev that his team, even though they are through to the last 16 of the Champions League, would not be relaxing in their final group H fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and FC Porto.

It is not the Mourinho way. Each game is there to be won and, whichever line-up he decides to field, it is competitive and studded with internationals. “In the players’ tunnel,” Mourinho said, “I told the Russian coach that he could be sure that my team would be fighting for results against PSG and Porto. If CSKA want to be the second-best team in the group, it is up to them.”

Mourinho also balked at suggestions that Chelsea may want to help CSKA for ulterior motives. The club are sponsored by Sibneft, the oil company of Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, and the many conspiracy theories that had abounded in Moscow travelled to West London. “CSKA is finished for me,” Mourinho said. “We played them two times and I don’t need to think about them again, unless we have to meet them in the quarter-finals or semis.”

Four successive wins in the group have given Mourinho the luxury of rotating members of his squad for the games, against PSG at Stamford Bridge tonight and away to Porto, his former club, in a fortnight. Petr Cech, Paulo Ferreira and Claude Makelele will make way for Carlo Cudicini, Glen Johnson and Scott Parker.

It should make little difference, though, to the mindset of the Chelsea players. To stay in Mourinho’s thoughts, they must perform when given the chance; to stay in the team, they must produce. If CSKA thought that Chelsea may now switch off, if PSG think that they may have it easy in London, they are mistaken.

“This is not a dead match,” Mourinho said. “I told the players that we are better than PSG, but motivation will make the difference. PSG will be motivated and as long as we go in with the same attitude, the better team will win. If we allow PSG to have a bigger commitment, we have no chance.

“I look for performance. The players have to fight for a position in the team and I look not at their faces, who they are or how much they might have cost. I look for what they can give me in the performance.”

That philosophy has served Mourinho well in recent seasons with Porto, winners of the Uefa Cup and European Cup back to back. Vahid Halilhodzic, the PSG head coach, recognises the organisational skills of his rival — Chelsea won 3-0 in Paris in September — and predicts a bright future for the confident Portuguese.

“Barcelona and Chelsea are the best sides in the competition,” Halilhodzic said. “I believe that Chelsea can go on to win it. We just have to try to finish second in the group.”

High praise from the Serb. He and Mourinho believe that Chelsea’s slip-up against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, when they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2, will have little relevance tonight.

“It was a bad feeling,” Mourinho said. “But I was happy that no one was happy. Next day, you move on and forget about the last game. When you wake up and you are top of the Premiership, top of your group in the Champions League and in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup, there are not many reasons to be unhappy.”

Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast forward, is happy. After an absence of ten matches over five weeks because of a groin injury, he will return to the substitutes’ bench. “The team is improving because of time together,” he said, “and it is easier to come back into a winning team. I will have to give my best.” Just like every Chelsea player this evening. Mourinho insists on it.

CHELSEA (probable; 4-4-2): C Cudicini — G Johnson, J Terry, W Gallas, W Bridge — A Smertin, S Parker, F Lampard, A Robben — M Kezman, E Gudjohnsen.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (probable; 4-4-2): L Letizi — S Pichot, J Pierre-Fanfan, M A Yepes, S Armand — E Cissé, L Cana, M M’Bami, B Mendy — F Pancrate, Pauleta.

Referee: R Temmink (Netherlands).

TELEVISION: Live on Sky Sports interactive, 7.45pm.