Raheem Sterling's camp have released a statement after the winger was dropped from Chelsea's squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester City.
The 29-year-old, who joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 for a reported £50 million, was deemed an "important player" by Enzo Maresca during their pre-season campaign.
In fact, Sterling featured in all six of their pre-season games, including their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on August 7.
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He was also interviewed by the club this week, where he spoke about his leadership role within the bloated 43-man Chelsea squad, as well as Maresca's influence.
But the player's future has been thrown into doubt after he was left out of their squad for Sunday's Premier League clash against former club Manchester City.
Just minutes after the team news was released, a statement from Sterling's camp emerged in a report by the Daily Mail.
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It read: "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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As mentioned above, Sterling took part in an interview with Chelsea's website this week, where he opened up about winning silverware at Stamford Bridge.
"I’m pushing and working to achieve that, and to get Chelsea where they deserve to be," he said.
"There are times when you win every year and times when you don’t win trophies. This football club more than not has been winning trophies. That’s the standards of Chelsea Football Club. We as a group are really determined to get back to those winning ways, and getting that exciting feeling of challenging for stuff and winning stuff back for the fans."
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He added: "It’s a football club I am really dedicated to now, to try and win trophies and replicate some of the successes I have had in the past."
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
Jack Kenmare