Raheem Sterling's representatives have demanded showdown talks with Chelsea after being left stunned by his exclusion from Enzo Maresca's squad against Manchester City. Chelsea start their Premier League campaign against Pep Guardiola's champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
But the impact of the Blues' bloated squad has been felt on the start line, with Sterling - a vastly experienced player in a young dressing room - missing out.
And the 29-year-old winger's camp have expressed their surprise at Maresca's decision to snub him against his former club, intensifying speculation surrounding his future.
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A statement published by the Mail 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.
"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend's fixture in some capacity.
"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem's future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation.
"Until then, we will continue to support Raheem's desire to start the new season positively."
Maresca hit back when speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the match, saying: "The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don't like it, that's normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that."
Sterling featured in all six of Chelsea's pre-season fixtures and has been labelled an "important player" by Maresca. He also previewed the clash against City in an interview on the club's website this week.
However, Maresca selected Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to star in his front three against the Citizens.
Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, £5m summer arrival Marc Guiu, and recent £54million signing Pedro Neto were preferred to Sterling on the bench.
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Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana were among the other forwards to miss out on a spot in Maresca's first matchday squad as Chelsea boss.
But Sterling's absence has unsurprisingly stolen the headlines, and it strengthens the belief that he could walk away from west London this summer.
The Mail report that Juventus are among the four-time Premier League winner's suitors ahead of a possible exit two years after joining from City for £48m.
Joao Felix's potential return from Atletico Madrid as part of a deal to send Conor Gallagher the other way would add further weight to the likelihood of Sterling's turbulent spell at Chelsea coming to an end.
