[ad_1]
England internationals Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are training outside of Chelsea’s first-team squad, manager Enzo Maresca said on Wednesday, amid reports in the British media that the two players were set to leave the Premier League club.
Maresca said Sterling and Chilwell, who missed Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to defending champions Manchester City, might struggle to get game time if they choose to stay at Chelsea.
“At the moment, they are training separately,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Thursday’s Europa League playoff match against Swiss side Servette.
“We have a big squad and for me it’s impossible to give everyone minutes. So if they want minutes, then it’s better for them to leave.”
Maresca said Sterling is not the kind of winger he wants. Since joining Chelsea in 2022, Sterling has played 59 league games for the team.
“I’m not saying he’s not a good player, but I like different types of wingers,” the Italian said.
“I spoke to Raheem before the City game and I said it would be hard for him to get minutes. As for Chilwell, I said he was a lovely guy but it would be hard for him to play with us given his position. That wasn’t cruel, it was the truth.
“It’s not a comfortable situation… I think if you want to stay you will struggle to get game time but in a few days or weeks the situation might get better because you will transfer and join a club where you will get more game time,” he added.
The manager said he did not see Sterling after the game against Manchester City.
He said: “If I sit with Raheem, I will tell him what I have already told him.”
Maresca said captain Reece James will miss Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury.
“We try to win every game. Against City, I think our intention was not to win the game but we tried to win that game… Tomorrow’s game, we will try to win it and hopefully we can,” he added.
[ad_2]
Source link
