Raheem Sterling’s future at Chelsea now remains uncertain as the star forward was left out of the Europa Conference League squad for the upcoming match against Servette.
Enzo Maresca’s decision to leave the ex-Manchester City star out of the squad comes after Sterling was also excluded from the players that faced Manchester City over the weekend.
Raheem Sterling was highly impressive while playing for the Blues during the 2023/24 season. The 29-year-old contributed significantly to Chelsea’s qualifying for the Europa Conference League with a total of 8 goals and 4 assists in 31 Premier League matches under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite his strong performance, Sterling has seemingly fallen out of favor with new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, as evidenced by his exclusion from the team’s opening EPL and recent exclusion from the Conference League match against the Swiss club.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca speaks on Raheem Sterling future
Meanwhile, sources say that Sterling was informed of his omission from the City game just a day before the match, prompting his representatives to release a statement seeking clarity on his role at the club.
However, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca stated that the decision to leave Sterling out was purely a technical one and that discussions would be had to clarify the situation.
When asked about Sterling’s future after Sunday’s game, Maresca replied, “I cannot say for sure. It was simply a technical choice, and tomorrow we will discuss the situation further.
“All the players are Chelsea players. If they remain with Chelsea, we will work with them, but ultimately it comes down to technical decisions.”
The ex-Manchester City youth team coach expressed his desire for all 30 players to remain at Stamford Bridge, but acknowledged that not all of them would get sufficient playing time.
He added: Personally, I hope Raheem Sterling stays, as well as all 30 players on our roster. Unfortunately, there is not enough room for everyone, so some may need to find a new team.”
Juventus are keen to sign Raheem Sterling if he leaves Stamford Bridge
Enzo Maresca’s omission of Raheem Sterling from the squad for the Europa Conference League play-off tie with Servette only adds to the speculation about his future.
Meanwhile, Juventus have reportedly shown interest in signing Sterling from Chelsea, but the Old Lady’s ability to do so depends on lowering their wage bill.
Elsewhere, Ben Chilwell, who has been plagued by injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge is also excluded from the squad list that will be facing Servette at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, August 22.
Report suggested that he may be looking at a departure from the club, with Manchester United showing interest in acquiring him to cover for the injured Luke Shaw.
The Blues squad have recently been strengthened with the addition of Pedro Neto, who made his debut against City.
An imminent announcement regarding Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid is also expected to further bolster the squad, particularly in the event of departures by Sterling and Chilwell.
What’s next?
Chelsea will host the Swiss side, Servette in London on Thursday (August 22) for the first-leg clash.
Enzo Maresca’s Europa Conference League squad
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Marcus Bettinelli.
Defenders: Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Renato Veiga.
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia.
Attackers: Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu.
It is widely believed that leaving Raheem Sterling out of the squad for the EPL opener against City was a significant error, as his presence could have potentially changed the outcome of the match.
With that in mind, do you think Enzo Maresca excluding Sterling from tomorrow’s Europa Conference League match is yet another mistake that could impact the result? Please, share your thoughts in the comments section below:
