Raheem Sterling’s camp releases statement after Chelsea leave him out of squad to face Manchester City
Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling's camp has released a statement after he was left out of the Blues' squad to take on Manchester City on Sunday (August 18). The Englishman was omitted from the squad for Enzo Maresca's first Premier League game, which has prompted his camp to ask for some 'clarity' on the situation.
Although Sterling enjoyed seven productive years at City, with 131 goals and 73 assists in 339 games, he was deemed surplus to requirements in July 2022. He made the move to Chelsea for €56.2 million, but has been underwhelming for the Blues, with only 19 goals and 12 assists in 81 appearances.
In the ongoing transfer window, the Blues have added Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman to their offensive stocks. With such a vast array of players at his disposal, Maresca took the decision to snub Sterling from the squad to take on his former side.
After the squad was announced, the 29-year-old's representatives put out a statement that read (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
“Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea 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," the statement concluded.
Despite the non-inclusion of Sterling, Maresca will have top-class attackers to take on City, with Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson being named in the lineup.
"I'm a person that just wants to see players do well" - Raheem Sterling explains his off-field role in Chelsea's locker room
Chelsea star Raheem Sterling claimed that he has an important role to play as one of the senior members of a young Blues squad. The English attacker stated that he just wants to be a 'positive influence' and not 'tell them what to do'.
In an interview with the club's official website, Sterling said:
"I'm a person that just wants to see players do well and fulfil their potential. If there is something I feel I can help with..it's not trying to tell them what to do, it's trying to be a positive influence. That's what you need in football: positive influences.
"Being a senior player and seeing a young player, there are two ways you can go about it. You can be negative and try to put them down or you can be positive and give them as much confidence in the group so they can perform on the pitch," Sterling concluded.
Chelsea will take on Manchester City in the opening game of their 2024-25 EPL campaign at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. They will do so without Sterling, who was not named in the official matchday squad by new manager Enzo Maresca.