Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed his desire to keep Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge, but he also acknowledged that the club’s overstocked squad might force some players to leave.
In a pre-season statement, Maresca described Sterling as an “important player” for the team, which made his decision to exclude the winger from the squad for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Manchester City all the more surprising.
Sterling’s representatives quickly responded to this decision, although they clarified that their statement was not issued just before the match but rather after rumors surfaced that Sterling might be dropped in the days leading up to the game. It was only after Sterling was officially left out that the response was made public.
Maresca later explained that Sterling’s exclusion was purely a “technical decision.” However, when asked directly if Sterling would still be with Chelsea at the end of the transfer window, Maresca admitted uncertainty. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “The only thing I can say is that it was a technical decision, and in the next day, we will want to sit and clarify the situation, but it is nothing more than that.”
Maresca emphasized that all players currently on the Chelsea roster, including Sterling, are considered Chelsea players and will be used accordingly. However, he also pointed out the logistical issue of trying to accommodate all 30 players in the squad. “I want Raheem Sterling, but I want all the 30 players we have. But there is no space for all of them. So, for some of them, they have to leave,” he added.
Sterling was not the only notable omission from the squad. Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Axel Disasi were also left out. Chilwell’s absence was expected, as Maresca had previously suggested that the left-back should consider moving elsewhere. However, the exclusions of Chukwuemeka and Disasi raised more questions about their futures with the club.
Maresca explained that Disasi had not been fully fit ahead of the game, which accounted for his absence. In contrast, when discussing Chukwuemeka, Maresca hinted that the 20-year-old midfielder’s future might lie away from Stamford Bridge. “I think every case is different,” Maresca said. “Carney, I think he is a very good player.
The problem is, because of some injuries in the past, I think the best for him is to play 30 or 35 games in a row, to show himself that he is fit and how good he is because he is very good. With us, is he going to play 35 games? I’m not sure.”
This situation underscores the challenges Maresca faces in managing Chelsea’s large and talented squad, balancing the need to maintain team harmony while also making tough decisions about who stays and who goes.
