Raheem Sterling seeks clarity over his Chelsea future after being left out of the squad to face his former club Manchester City
Raheem Sterling's side are demanding talks with Chelsea over his future following the winger's injury to Manchester City.
The 29-year-old looked set to take on his former employers in the Blues' opening Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
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Having been heavily involved during the preseason, Pound sterling He had been in contention to start under new boss Enzo Maresca.
But like his teammates Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku, he was Overlooked by the Italian.
And with those five players deemed surplus to requirements for Chelsea, doubts immediately arose that the west Londoners could look to offload the England international.
It's something the striker's team have insisted they are seeking immediate clarity on.
A spokesman for Sterling said: “Raheem Sterling is under contract to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
“He returned to England two weeks earlier for individual training and has had a positive pre-season under the new manager, with whom he has developed a good working relationship.
“He is committed, as always, to delivering at the highest level 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, our expectation was that Raheem would feature in this weekend's encounter in some capacity.
“As a team, we have always had positive dialogue and trust from Chelsea FC regarding 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 on a positive note.”
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Maresca has revealed that Sterling's omission was purely tactical, as he did not suggest the decision was transfer-related.
He said: “It's just a technical decision, there's nothing more to say.”
“Coaches are paid to make decisions and sometimes players don't like it.”
His comments come just a week after he described Sterling as an “important player” following the club's 1-1 draw with Inter Milan.
The former Leicester manager commented: “He is certainly one of our important players, along with the rest.
“At the moment, sometimes he plays from the start, sometimes he goes inside.
“The important thing is that we give him minutes and he is doing well.”
Following Sterling's statement, his former Liverpool teammate Jamie Carragher criticised Chelsea's decision to voice his opinion ahead of the start of the season.
The expert published in unknown“I'm a big fan of Raheem as a player and as a player. I'm not a fan of Chelsea's structure with their owners etc. But this claim is ridiculous!
“'Like a camp………..!' 'We hope to get clarity…….!!'
“There's no need to make any statements, especially an hour before kick-off. We just have to play better.”
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Sterling has spent the previous two years at Chelsea since joining from the Citizens in a £47.5m deal.
He has contributed 19 goals and 12 assists in 81 games in all competitions.
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