Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists captain John Terry is "not safe" and must prove himself worthy of a first-team place and a new contract.
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Terry, 32, was skipper in Mourinho's previous spell from 2004 to 2007 and has a year left on his current deal.
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Mourinho said: "He's not safe, and he knows he's not safe. The only thing he knows is safe is our friendship, but professionally, nobody's safe.
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"I know he's a very good player, but he must prove himself like everyone else."
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Terry, whose first spell as skipper under Mourinho heralded six trophies, was no longer a guaranteed first choice under Mourinho's predecessor Rafael Benitez last season, however Mourinho believes the centre-back still has a lot to offer.
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"I feel the motivation is there, the pleasure of training and playing is there," Mourinho added.
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"His class is there. His position is there. From a physical point of view, he needs to work hard and not have injuries because injuries break the evolution of the player. For me, that's the key point for John."
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The Portuguese is also confident he can get the best out of £50m striker Fernando Torres, who has struggled at times since his January 2011 arrival at Stamford Bridge.
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"I think I know Fernando quite well in terms of a player," said Mourinho, who believes Torres is at his best when he can run in behind defences.
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"I think I know the best way for a team to play to try to get the best out of him, so I will try to help him, the same way I try to help other people."
It's good Jose Mourinho said the truth about John Terry. Terry is getting old so he might not be a good defender anymore.