Raheem Sterling will not hand in his transfer request to Chelsea but still has doubts over his future at Stamford Bridge

Raheem Sterling will not submit a transfer request to force his way out of Chelsea this summer.

The winger was left out of the Blues squad for their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

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The 29-year-old looked set to take on his former employers in the Blues' opening Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

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.

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“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem's desire to start the new season on a positive note.”

In an update to talkSPORT, it was admitted that the timing of the statement was not perfect.

talkSPORT presenter Jim White said: “In retrospect, his representatives feel that timing was unfortunate. Raheem and his team want to have direct contact with Chelsea's owners and sporting directors.

“I understand that the player will not submit a transfer request, they feel that the player has a good relationship with the new coach.

“They feel the relationship is one of mutual respect, but until there is more dialogue, Raheem doubts he will have a role to play at Chelsea in the future.”

Speaking after the defeat, Maresca remained noncommittal on whether Sterling remains part of his plans, but claimed his decision was purely tactical.

Asked by talkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook whether Sterling still has a future at Chelsea, Maresca said: “He's a Chelsea player at the moment.

“Like all the Chelsea players who are here at the moment, they have a future.

“But it was just a technical decision, nothing more than that.”

Commenting on Sterling's team's statement demanding to speak to Chelsea, Maresca said: “I didn't see it.

“They told me when the match was over, but to be honest, I didn't see it. So I don't know why.

“I was focused on the game so I didn't pay attention.”

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.”

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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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