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Byline: NEIL McLEMAN

SUPERSPY Andrei Shevchenko has briefed Ukraine on the weaknesses of his former Chelsea team-mates before tonight's World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

The pounds 30.9million striker suffered two sorry seasons at Stamford Bridge and was sent back to Milan last summer.

But the 32-year-old has now come in from the cold to offer inside knowledge on England stars John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard to his national boss Alexei Mikhailichenko.

And with Andriy Voronin having spent a season at Liverpool with Stevie Gerrard, Mikhailichenko said he will use the intelligence from his foreign agents to outwit Fabio Capello.

EXPERIENCE

"The experience of Andriy Voronin and Shevchenko will definitely help because they spent enough time here to understand English football," said the former Glasgow Rangers midfielder.

"They know so many players, they have worked with the England players and when you do that you learn so much compared to just watching them on television.

"We had a conversation with Andriy and he told me all about the strengths and weaknesses of the Chelsea players. The more information you have the more chance you have to choose the right tactics. His knowledge has helped me.

"I don't want to get into too much detail now. I will tell you exactly what he told me after the game!" With Ukraine arriving in England last week, Mikhailichenko was at Wembley on Saturday to watch the friendly against Slovakia.

"I learned how Slovakia shouldn't play," said the Ukraine manager.

But Mikhailichenko said his country, who lost 2-0 at the old Wembley in 2000, would not try to wind up Wayne Rooney until he gets a red card.

"I don't think provocation is the way of playing for the Ukraine national team," he said.

"I feel that I really like the way the England team approaches their game, with an open, manly struggle.

We feel this is the approach we want to take." While Shevchenko has only made two Serie A starts since returning to Italy, Voronin has helped Hertha Berlin to the top of the Bundesliga with 11 goals during his year-long loan in Germany.

But the 29-year-old forward, who moved to Anfield on a Bosman in July 2007, insisted he was never able to show his true talent during a single season in the Premier League - and he would like to be given another opportunity.

"I don't think I was given a fair chance," said Voronin.

"If it were not for the transfer of Robbie Keane I think I could have shown much more of what I was capable of. I also had three months of injury with a hamstring tear.

"With that sort of injury you need a long time to recover and have to start proving yourself again.

"Of course, it was the step taken by Rafael Benitez and who am I to judge? "The team is playing well, they have reached the quarter-final of the Champions League.

"I'd love to come back, but not to sit on the bench or to watch. I would like to come back to play."

CAPTION(S):

INSIDE KNOWLEDGE Ukraine star Andrei Shevchenko