Enzo Maresca has warned that Raheem Sterling and Chelsea’s other first-team exiles will not get minutes under him if they stay at the club beyond Friday’s transfer deadline.
Sterling headlines a sizeable list of players training away from Maresca’s first-team squad at Cobham, having lost his squad number to summer signing Pedro Neto. Ben Chilwell, Chelsea’s vice-captain last season, has also been encouraged to seek a move elsewhere this week.
Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that Sterling wants to resolve his contract situation with Chelsea – he has three years left to run on a deal that pays him north of £300,000-a-week – before speaking to interested clubs, but Maresca says any out-of-favour player who does not leave Stamford Bridge this week faces a long spell on the sidelines until the January window opens.
Asked what Sterling’s situation will be if he is still a Chelsea player beyond the transfer deadline, Maresca replied: “We’re gonna see. I prefer to be honest with the players, and with Raheem I have been exactly the same.
“The ones who are not involved are not going to be involved, and they are not going to get any minutes in case they stay.
“I don’t know what happens when the transfer window closes. We’ll see who is here and who is not here. The only thing I can say is the ones who are going to get minutes are the ones I feel can help us.”
Pressed on whether that means Sterling will not play for Chelsea if he stays, Maresca replied: “It’s not just for Raheem. It’s for all the players that are training apart in this moment. When the transfer window closes they are not going to get minutes. I’ve been clear and honest with them, so this is the reason why.”
Maresca says Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the second leg of their Europa Conference League qualifying tie against Servette, though Neto and Malo Gusto have been left in London as a precaution.
“Reece (James) is out, Romeo (Lavia) is still out, and Pedro and Malo are not involved in the squad for tomorrow just for prevention, not for any problem,” he said.
Asked if there is a timeframe for the returns of James and Lavia, Maresca replied: “Hopefully after the international break, hopefully.”
(Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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