England stars ramp up security at their homes after armed robbery at Sterling’s house while on FIFA World Cup duty: Reports
England stars are reportedly ramping up security in their homes after an armed robbery at Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling's house on December 3.
Sterling was scheduled to feature for England against Senegal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup last-16 match on December 4. But he flew home prematurely to be with his family, who were inside the house when the robbery took place.
He apparently had 300,000 worth of watches stolen from his home. As per the Daily Mail (h/t the Mirror), his England teammates were informed of Sterling's situation before the game against Senegal.
Sterling's international teammates have grown anxious after the robbery and have started to beef up security in their own homes. Many of them have traveled with their families to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Raheem Sterling is not available for selection for the #ThreeLions tonight as he is dealing with a family matter. https://t.co/CR6cU8J0wE
Sterling's absence on the field did not impact England's performance against the Lions of Teranga. The Three Lions won 3-0 with goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka to book their place in the quarter-finals.
France, meanwhile, comfortably saw off Poland via a 3-1 scoreline in their last-16 encounter and will now face England for a place in the semi-finals. Sterling's former Manchester City teammate, Phil Foden, occupied the left flank in manager Gareth Southgate's starting XI against the 2022 AFCON winners.
If Sterling doesn't return in time for the subsequent games, it is likely that Foden will become a regular feature down that flank. He grabbed two assists against Senegal and even drew praise from Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu for his efforts.
England manager gives verdict on Raheem Sterling's FIFA World Cup chances
Southgate is unsure if the former Liverpool winger will return in time to feature again in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
As soon as Raheem Sterling was informed armed intruders had entered his home with his kids present, he wanted to fly back to the UK. Extremely shaken by it.
Given his commitment to England, he hopes to return to help the team, but the welfare of his children comes first.
When asked to give his verdict on Sterling's situation, the former Middlesbrough manager told ITV:
"We will have to wait and see. At the moment, clearly the priority is for him to be with his family and we’re going to support that. We’re going to allow him to have as much time as he needs. He’s going home, yeah.
"I really don’t know because at the moment it’s a situation that he needs time with his family to deal with and I don’t want to put him under any pressure."
The 1966 World Cup winners' next game is against the defending World Cup champions on December 10. The last time the two teams met, France beat the Three Lions 3-2 in an international friendly in June 2017.