Liverpool legend slams Chelsea star Raheem Sterling for his 'pathetic' statement before loss to Manchester City
Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has hit out at Chelsea star Raheem Sterling for his statement before the Blues' defeat against Manchester City. The 29-year-old was not part of Enzo Maresca's matchday squad for the west London giants in their 2-0 loss against the Cityzens in their Premier League opener on Sunday (August 18).
Sterling's camp issued a statement after the England international was excluded from the squad. In the statement, Sterling's entourage pledged their commitment towards the club and insisted that they are looking for clarity on the situation. The statement read, as per SPORTbible:
"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."
Mark Lawrenson has now hit out at the winger for his statement, branding it as 'pathetic,' insisting that he should have talked to the manager instead. He also offered his support for manager Enzo Maresca and slammed the Blues for the mess they find themselves in. The former Liverpool defender said, as quoted by SPORTbible:
"Raheem Sterling should have knocked on the manager's door at Chelsea and gone to speak to him, man to man, and explained how he feels, rather than his people putting out a statement, which was pathetic."
Lawrenson added:
"In fairness to Enzo Maresca, I think he was hung out to dry by the hierarchy. They all need to start speaking because they are putting the manager under so much pressure, and they’ve got him doing all their dirty work for them – the whole thing is poor from Chelsea and the club is just a mess."
The former Republic of Ireland defender concluded:
"The other day the manager said how he doesn’t have 42 players, he’s only got 24 players with the rest training with the under 21s, which just shows how much of a state the club is in currently."
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has publicly stated that Sterling is not a part of his plans. While claiming that he likes different kind of wingers, he even claimed that the 82-cap England international won't be given a single minute of playing time.
Sterling was the first arrival at Stamford Bridge after Todd Boehly's takeover at the club and still has three years left in his deal. He has scored 19 goals and produced 12 assists in 81 appearances for the Blues till date.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca offers Cole Palmer fitness update after injury against Servette
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that Cole Palmer should be available to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday (August 25). The attacking midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the Blues' 2-0 win against Servette in the first leg of their Conference League play-off on Thursday (August 22).
The England international was introduced off the bench in the 57th minute but went off with visible discomfort in his hamstring. However, Maresca insisted that the 22-year-old should be fine for the Blues' weekend fixture against Wolves on Sunday. The Italian manager said, as quoted by Football.London:
“Cole, he felt something but he looks fine. They have already checked him. He looks fine, he is okay. Hopefully there is no problem and he can be involved in Sunday's game.”
Palmer enjoyed a sensational debut season for Chelsea last time out following his reported £42.5 million move from Manchester City. He scored 25 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances for the Blues across competitions last season.