Raheem Sterling Left Out of Chelsea’s Squad to Face Manchester City
Enzo Maresca Makes Bold Call as He Stamps His Authority at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea’s new head coach, Enzo Maresca, has made a surprising decision to leave Raheem Sterling out of the squad to face Manchester City, sparking uncertainty over the attacker’s future at the club.
LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Enzo Maresca has fallen short of assuring Raheem Sterling that he has a future at Chelsea as the attacker seeks clarity over his position at the club. In a statement, the attacker’s representatives indicated that his omission from Sunday’s squad that faced Manchester City was unexpected. The remarks also state that the England star wants clarity over his future at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s squad is over-inflated, and Sterling is set to be among the players the club wants to sell. When asked if he wanted to keep the 29-year-old, head coach Maresca said: ‘I want Raheem Sterling, but we have 30 players, there is no space for all of them, so some have to leave.’
When questioned about the statement and the decision to axe Sterling from his squad, the Blues boss added: ‘The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don’t like it, that’s normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that. With Raheem, we will clarify in the next days.’
A statement from Sterling’s camp read: ‘Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.’
Sterling has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer, and news of his anticipated non-inclusion in the party that faces the Premier League champions indicates his Chelsea future could lie elsewhere. Juventus are among the clubs with an interest in Sterling, who it is understood could leave this summer.
Sterling signed for Chelsea from the Etihad in a deal worth £47.5million in the summer of 2022. The former Liverpool star’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has coincided with a period of turbulence following the club’s change of ownership from the control of Roman Abramovich to US businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
The club have spent over £1billion on new players since the American takeover in 2022, while Sterling has played under six different managers in just over two years. Chelsea are blessed with an abundance of attacking talent with the likes of Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Christophe Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Sterling all fighting for a place in their team.
The club are also trying to sign forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid. Sterling, despite the speculation regarding his future, has been focused on maintaining his professionalism during pre-season with a view to playing a role under Maresca this term. But with the transfer deadline fast approaching, it remains to be seen whether Sterling remains at Chelsea.
Raheem Sterling was not included in Chelsea’s matchday squad against Manchester City
Maresca revealed it was purely a technical decision to drop Sterling against Manchester City
He may now be forced to look for an exit route from Stamford Bridge amid the surprise axing