Raheem Sterling is seeking clarity on his position at Chelsea after being left out of Enzo Maresca’s first squad as Stamford Bridge boss.
On approaching the attacker’s representative for comment, they indicated to Mail Sport that his omission from Sunday's Blues party that faces Manchester City was unexpected.
A pre-match interview with Sterling was featured on Chelsea’s website earlier this week which emphasised the importance of the player’s experience in a relatively young dressing room, while Maresca called the forward an ‘important player’ during pre-season amid a sense from the player that he was in the club’s plans.
He has also featured in all six of Chelsea’s pre season games.
But his omission from the squad to face his former club on Sunday throws his future into question.
Raheem Sterling has been left out of Chelsea's matchday squad to take on Manchester City
Enzo Maresca has opted against including the forward in his first squad as Chelsea boss
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 had played an important role throughout Chelsea's pre-season fixtures this summer
Maresca is preparing to take charge of his first competitive match as Chelsea manager
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.
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.
There are a number of clubs - including Juventus - who are interested in the 29-year-old
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.