By Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, key Chelsea players, are currently training away from the first team, as head coach Enzo Maresca prefers a different style of winger, leaving their future at the club uncertain. Maresca revealed that Sterling, who joined Chelsea for £50 million from Manchester City in 2022, is not in his plans for the season, and the club is open to offers for the 29-year-old. Sterling, along with Chilwell, was excluded from the squad that lost to Manchester City last Sunday and will not be part of the team facing Servette on Thursday.
Sterling’s No. 7 shirt has already been reassigned to summer signing Pedro Neto, signaling the club’s intention to move forward without him. Maresca informed Sterling last Friday that he would struggle to get minutes this season, and the winger’s representatives had previously sought clarity over his future, a move criticized by pundits.
Chilwell, Chelsea’s vice-captain last season, is also out of the first-team plans, with Maresca citing the club’s large squad as a reason for their exclusion. Both players, part of a group of around 15 training separately, have been encouraged to find new clubs before the transfer window closes on August 30.
Maresca, in a press conference, emphasized that the situation is not as chaotic as it may appear from the outside. He stated that he is focused on working with the 21 or 22 players in his immediate plans and is unconcerned about the long-term contracts of those excluded from the squad.
Meanwhile, Trevor Chalobah, another player not in Maresca’s plans, has seen his No. 14 shirt handed to new signing Joao Felix. Chelsea’s transfer activity continues as they target a new striker, with Victor Osimhen being a potential option. The club also recently completed the sale of Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid for £36 million, a move driven by the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Maresca acknowledged the difficult decisions involved in selling homegrown talent like Gallagher but maintained that these moves are necessary to comply with financial regulations. Despite the upheaval, Reece James remains a key figure in Maresca’s plans and will retain the captaincy once he recovers from injury.
