Chelsea have sent off Raheem Sterling against Man City.
Raheem Sterling's representatives have demanded talks with Chelsea after being left stunned by his exclusion from Enzo Maresca's squad against Manchester City. Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign against Pep Guardiola's champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
But the impact of the Blues' bloated squad was felt from the start, with Sterling – a hugely experienced player in a young dressing room – missing.
And the 29-year-old winger's entourage have expressed surprise at Maresca's decision to snub him over his former club, intensifying speculation over his future.
A statement released by the Mail read: “Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
“He returned to England two weeks earlier for individual training and has enjoyed a positive pre-season under the new coach, with whom he has developed a good working relationship.
“He is committed, as always, to delivering the best for Chelsea FC and the fans, whom he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in the club’s official pre-match material this week, we expected Raheem to be involved in this weekend’s game in some capacity.
“As a camp we have always had positive dialogue and assurances from Chelsea FC regarding Raheem’s future with the club, so we look forward to having further clarity on the situation.
Raheem Sterling's future at Chelsea is uncertain.
“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem's desire to start the new season in a positive way.”
Maresca responded in an interview with Sky Sports before the match: “The manager has to make certain decisions. Sometimes the players don't like it, that's normal. It's just a technical decision, nothing more.”
Sterling has featured in all six of Chelsea's pre-season games 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 play in his front three against the Citizens.
Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, £5m summer arrival Marc Guiu and recent £54m signing Pedro Neto were preferred to Sterling on the bench.
Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana are among the other forwards not to have a place in Maresca's squad on his first day as Chelsea boss.
But Sterling's absence has unsurprisingly dominated headlines and reinforced the belief he could leave west London this summer.
The Mail reports that Juventus are among the suitors for the four-time Premier League winner ahead of a possible exit two years after he joined City for £48million.
The potential return of Joao Felix 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 time at Chelsea coming to an end.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1937562/Chelsea-news-Raheem-Sterling-Man-City-breaking