Raheem Sterling seeking clarity on Chelsea future as he’s left out of squad to face former club Man City

Raheem Sterling’s camp are demanding talks with Chelsea over his future following the winger’s omission from the 2-0 loss against Manchester City.

The 29-year-old looked set to be involved to face his former employers in the Blues’ opening Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

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Having been involved heavily during pre-season, Sterling had been in contention to start under new boss Enzo Maresca.

But like teammates Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku, he was overlooked by the Italian.

And with those five players deemed as surplus to requirements by Chelsea, question marks have immediately been raised that the west Londoners could look to offload the England international.

It’s something that the forward’s team have insisted they are seeking immediate clarity about.

A spokesperson for Sterling said: “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.”

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Speaking after the defeat, Maresca remained coy on whether Sterling remains part of his plans, but stated his decision was merely tactical.

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

“Like all the Chelsea players that are in this moment here, they have a future.

“But it was just a technical decision, no more than that.”

Commenting on the statement made from Sterling’s team where they demanded talks with Chelsea, Maresca stated: “I didn’t see.

“They told me when the game was finished, but to be honest, I didn’t see. so I don’t know the reason 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 boss remarked: “For sure, he is one of our important players, together with the rest.

“At this moment, sometimes he is playing from the start, sometimes he goes inside.

“The important thing is we give him minutes, and he is doing well.”

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Sterling has spent the previous two years at Chelsea since arriving from the Citizens in a £47.5million deal.

He has chipped in with 19 goals and 12 assists in 81 matches in all competitions.

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