Jose: We must respect Toffees

Jose Mourinho says Chelsea should not treat Everton as a bottom of the table side.

Jose Mourinho has urged his Chelsea stars to remember Everton as the side who stormed to the UEFA Champions League positions last season, not the strugglers who are currently languishing at the bottom of The Premiership.

The all-conquering Blues visit David Moyes' side on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1, in what is inevitably being perceived as a David against Goliath encounter with Chelsea maintaining an 100 percent record and Everton scoring just one goal all season.

However Mourinho has warned his stars that if they approach the game expecting a roll-over they will be surprised by a side whom the Portuguese tactician clearly holds a lot of respect for.

"We cannot look at them as the position they have at this moment," said Mourinho.

"If we respect them and remember the good team they were, and will be again, normally we will go and win.

"If we look at them as a team with one goal, a lot of defeats, bottom of the league we will have a big surprise.

"I don't know if they are playing better than the scores suggest, what I know is the quality of their players, quality of the manager, quality of the team, that's what I know.

"I don't forget last season they gave us two very difficult matches and I think their squad is better than last season."

The Chelsea boss also advanced his belief that, under Scottish boss Moyes, The Toffees will eventually break out of their current slump and secure a safe mid-table position.

"I think Moyes understands football, he's been in the game for a long time, normally a bad moment arrives for everyone," Mourinho continued.

"I think he can solve the situation, he is the same, the players are the same, he has new players who are good ones so sooner or later they will win matches and be out of the situation.

"If you ask me do I believe Everton will be again fourth in The Premiership I will say of course not.

"If you ask do I believe they will be relegated I will say of course not. I think they will come out and finish in the middle of the table."

In the clash at Goodison on Sunday Mourinho will spot a familiar face lining up for the home side in the shape of Everton left back Nuno Valente.

The Portuguese international was a key member of Mourinho's Porto side that won the Champions League title in 2004, although the Blues boss insists he will not profit from any prior knowledge.

Mourinho went on to praise his former charge but insisted he was never in consideration for a transfer to Stamford Bridge, either upon Mourinho's arrival or during the summer when Asier Del Horno was purchased from Athletic Bilbao.

"I can tell you Nuno Valente from my time, not Valente from now.

"Now I don't work with him for two years I don't know how Nuno is at the moment.

"But Portugal is not a bad side in European football as you know. Vice-champions of Europe and easily qualified for the World Cup and Nuno is still the best Portuguese left back so I think we are speaking about a good player.

"He is involved with a bad situation now but when the team comes up he will come up with the team.

"No I never considered him for Chelsea, last year when I came to Chelsea I had [Wayne] Bridge and [Celestine] Babayaro.

"I liked Bridge at the time, I also know Babayaro well and thought I could bring the best from him but I was not interested in left backs.

"This season when we decided to bring in a new left back I was not looking anymore to Porto players, Portuguese players, I was looking for a younger one and I think enough Portuguese players and coaches, enough."