Raheem Sterling has been training away from Chelsea’s first-team squad as his Stamford Bridge future continues to look bleak. Head coach Enzo Maresca has encouraged the forward to leave the club after excluding him from the matchday squad for the Blues' Premier League defeat by Manchester City on Sunday.
Sterling was a surprising omission against his former club. His representatives issued a statement ahead of kick-off, calling for clarity on their client's future.
The 29-year-old faces strong competition for places at Chelsea after another influx of signings. It looks set to be a disappointing exit for a player who was signed to much fanfare in a £50million during BlueCo's first summer in west London.
Speaking about Sterling and left-back Ben Chilwell, Maresca said: "They are training apart. The situation with both of them is quite clear. We have a big squad and it's impossible to give all of them minutes. If they are looking for minutes it's better for them to leave.
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"I try to be honest. I spoke with Raheem before the Manchester City game. I said he will struggle to get minutes with us and this was the reason why he was out.
"And with Chilly, he's lovely guy, but I said he is going to struggle with his position. It's not brutal, it's just honest."
Sterling played a prominent role during pre-season and believed he had a part to play heading into the new season. It is believed that his omission against Man City came as a surprise. According to The Athletic, Sterling would prefer a permanent exit over a loan.
But that stance took a twist when Sterling's representatives released a statement a little over an hour before kick-off. Maresca is reported to have told the former Liverpool star that he is not in his plans for the campaign and can find a move elsewhere.
The Italian coach, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, has been streamlining his squad and has faced difficult decisions over many of the players he inherited from his predecessor. In addition to Sterling and Chilwell, it is understood that Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku are also training away from the first team.
As too was Conor Gallagher before his transfer to Atletico Madrid was confirmed this morning (Wednesday). The midfielder's move was held up by Samu Omorodion turning down a switch to Chelsea, although the La Liga club have now allowed Joao Felix to join Maresca's side.
