AC Milan will keep a squad place open for Andriy Shevchenko, the Chelsea striker, should he decide on a return to Italy.

The Serie A side are able to recruit another player from outside the European Union now that Kaka, the Brazilian, has qualified as an Italian national through marriage.

"Sheva remains in our hearts, he and his wife have been invited to Athens to follow the Champions League Final," said AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani at a news conference on Wednesday.

"As for the future, let's see, he is a Chelsea player. Anyway, he knows, we will keep a place open for a few months seeing as after his marriage Kaka has freed up a non-European Union place. But we are not talking about the future too much, now we have to think about the final."

Shevchenko has endured a troubled first season at Stamford Bridge following his £30 million move from the San Siro last summer. Jose Mourinho, the manager, has been largely unhappy with his Ukranian international's form.

Mourinho also made a thinly veiled criticised of the striker after he withdrew from the Champions League semi-final defeat by Liverpool because of a groin injury. Shevchenko underwent surgery on the problem this week, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Shevchenko's wife Kirsten Pazik has said the move to London has been a disaster for the family and the player himself claimed earlier this season that he had become a pawn in the deteriorating relationship between Mourinho and Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's billionaire Russian owner.

"Mourinho was very positive and happy with me in the transfer talks," he said. "Then a few months ago I suddenly became a target for him because he was having a spat with the chairman."

Chelsea would probably be willing to sell if they could recoup the bulk of what they paid for the former Dynamo Kiev star last May, and if Abramovich, a huge fan of the player, could be persuaded to sanction the move.