Chelsea’s strategy of signing a large number of players has begun to show its drawbacks, and one of the casualties appears to be Raheem Sterling. Due to the bloated squad of around 40 players, coach Enzo Maresca has been forced to make additional selections and divide the available players into two groups. Maresca has openly stated that he is working with 21 players, while the remaining 15-20 train separately. From the outset, this division suggested potential negative consequences, and among those sidelined are Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling. The England international has not taken kindly to being marginalized, and reports have surfaced today that he has expressed a desire to leave Stamford Bridge permanently. Sterling’s discontent reached its peak after he was left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Manchester City, making it clear that Maresca does not consider him part of his plans.🚨🔵 Pedro Neto will wear the no.7 shirt at Chelsea this season. That number was worn by Raheem Sterling. (@SkySportsNews) pic.twitter.com/Zf1XDpXk7z— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 21, 2024 Chelsea’s attacking lineup was strengthened so far by the arrivals of João Félix, Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Marcos Guilherme, leading to speculation that Sterling might not be a priority for Maresca. However, the Italian coach did not want the players to be left guessing and directly informed Sterling about his status.”I’m not saying Raheem isn’t a good player, but I prefer a different type of winger. Honestly, he won’t get minutes here. They train separately. The situation with both of them is quite clear. We have a big squad, and it’s impossible to give everyone minutes. If they want minutes, it’s better for them to leave. I try to be honest” Maresca explained the situation regarding Sterling and Chilwell.Felix again in blue: The Atletico flop is a new Chelsea playerAfter disagreements between Raheem Sterling and coach Enzo Maresca, it was agreed that Sterling would have discussions with club representatives in the coming days to find a solution to his situation. The ideal outcome for all parties would be to sell the England international, effectively ending his chapter at Stamford Bridge. The club’s decision to assign the number seven jersey, previously worn by Sterling, to new signing Pedro Neto can be seen as confirmation that Chelsea no longer seriously considers Sterling as part of their plans. This development was somewhat predictable given that the club had accumulated a large number of players across all positions, creating an oversized squad where it’s difficult to meet everyone’s expectations.”Case Sterling” at Stamford Bridge – He has to leave, only he doesn’t know it yet?!Maresca explained the situation within the club, emphasizing that he is working with 21 players, while the others train separately. He highlights that, although it may look chaotic from the outside, there are no issues within the team, and his job is to make the right decisions for the squad.”I’m working with 21 players. Today’s training had 20 players, yesterday it was 21… The other 15-20 train separately. I don’t see them. It’s not as chaotic as it seems from the outside. I’m here to make decisions and think about what’s best for us. I’m not concerned with how many years are left on their contracts, that’s not my job. If I don’t like them, they could have contracts for 20 years, I don’t care. I’m here only to make the right decision for the team. The job of all managers is to keep players happy, but it’s nearly impossible because they train every day to earn minutes, and only 11 can start,” Maresca stated.Sterling, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2022 for around 56 million euros, signed a five-year contract, but now his future at the club appears uncertain. If he doesn’t receive a role that he deems suitable, it’s very likely that we’ve already seen his last games in a Chelsea shirt.##NAJAVA_MECA_8284381##
