7 hours ago
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Enzo Maresca has sent a brutal message to Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi as both players remain out in the cold and not in Chelsea's first-team squad.
Reports emerged on Thursday that the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) are in contact with Chelsea over the handling of squad outcasts Sterling and Disasi. As things stand, both players are training away from the rest of the squad after Maresca made it clear they are not part of his plans.
It's reported that players' union the PFA have intervened over the treatment of Sterling and Disasi. The duo have not played a single minute of competitive football since the end of last season.
Sterling, 30, has two years left on his contract at Chelsea, which is worth about £325,000 per-week, while Disasi, 27, has four years remaining on his 80,000 per-week deal.
When asked about Sterling and Disasi, Maresca said in his press conference on Friday: "I've been in Raheem's situation and Axel's situation as a player. I know it is not the best feeling.
"You want to play games but for different reasons, the situation is the way it is at the moment. The club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way. That's all I can say.
"I know it is something you like and want to talk about. It's not just Chelsea, it's every club in the world.
"When for any reason, the player and the club does not find any solution; you give the player the tools to train but if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad."
Sterling spent last season on loan at Arsenal but struggled, scoring just once and adding five assists in 28 appearances, while Disasi was at Aston Villa for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
On the pitch, Chelsea travel to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday looking to get back to winning ways after last weekend's draw at Brentford and Wednesday's defeat against Bayern Munich.
"I think it's always difficult to play United away in their stadium, Old Trafford," Maresca added. "So I don't think that now is the right moment or next year will be the right moment or last year was the right moment.
"It's always difficult. It's a difficult team, it's a difficult stadium. I watch the games that they play this season. Some of the games are not a real result in terms of even City game. Until 1-0, 2-0 they were in the game. When the game wasn't in there, they had a few chances to score and to go ahead on the result. So it will be a tough game."
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