Enzo Maresca has fallen short of assuring Raheem Sterling that he has a future at Chelsea as the attacker seeks clarity over his position at the club.
In a statement exclusively published by Mail Sport, the attacker’s representatives - when approached for comment - indicated that his omission from Sunday’s squad that faced Manchester City was unexpected.
The remarks also state that the England star wants clarity over his future at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s squad is over-inflated and Sterling is set to be among the players the club want to sell and asked if he wanted to keep the 29-year-old, head coach Maresca said: ‘I want Raheem Sterling but we have 30 players, there is no space for all of them so some have to leave.
When questioned about the statement and the decision to axe Sterling from his squad, the Blues boss added: ‘The manager has to make some decisions.
Raheem Sterling was not included in Chelsea's matchday squad against Manchester City
Maresca revealed it was purely a technical decision to drop Sterling against Manchester City
He may now be forced to look for an exit route from Stamford Bridge amid the surprise axing
‘Sometimes players don’t like it, that’s normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that. With Raheem, we will clarify in the next days.’
A statement from Sterling’s camp read: ‘Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club 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.’
Sterling has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer and news of his anticipated non-inclusion in the party that faces the Premier League champions indicates his Chelsea future could lie elsewhere.
Juventus are among the clubs with an interest in Sterling, who it is, understood, could leave this summer.
Sterling signed for Chelsea from the Etihad in a deal worth £47.5million in the summer of 2022.
The former Liverpool star’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has coincided with a period of turbulence following the club’s change of ownership from the control of Roman Abramovich to US businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who are led by Behdad Eghbali, who has taken an increasingly active role at Chelsea in the previous 12 months.
Sterling has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer and his non-inclusion in Sunday's match could indicate that his future lies elsewhere
Chelsea were beaten by Man City on Sunday evening at Stamford Bridge, with Mateo Kovacic (second from right scoring against his former club)
The ex-Liverpool star’s arrival at Stamford Bridge coincided with a period of turbulence following the club’s change of ownership, with Todd Boehly (pictured) now at the helm
The club have spent over £1billion on new players since the American takeover in 2022, while Sterling has played under six different managers in just over two years.
Chelsea are blessed with an abundance of attacking talent with the likes of Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Christophe Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk and Sterling all fighting for a place in their team.
The club are also trying to sign forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.
Sterling, despite the speculation regarding his future, has been focussed on maintaining his professionalism during pre-season with a view to playing a role under Maresca this term.
But with the transfer deadline fast approaching it remains to be seen whether Sterling remains at Chelsea.