Raheem Sterling humiliated by Chelsea after shirt number stripped and first-team banishment

Manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that Sterling and Ben Chilwell are in a group of ‘more than 15’ Chelsea players who train separately

Raheem Sterling’s Chelsea humiliation deepened on another dramatic day at the club as the forward had his No 7 shirt removed and was banished from first-team training.
Sterling, who was shocked to be dropped ahead of Sunday’s defeat by Manchester City, has been told by head coach Enzo Maresca to leave the club if he wants to play regular football.
The England winger was given Tuesday and Wednesday off while he and the club consider their options, with a permanent move being sought for the 29-year-old.
Upon his return to Chelsea’s Cobham headquarters, he will be part of a group of more than a dozen players who are now working away from Maresca’s first-team squad. The exiled group also includes England international Ben Chilwell, who has been told to find a new team if he wants to play regular football this season.
It’s understood that Sterling will return to training this week and continue to report for his duties even if that means playing for the under-21 side, although an exit before next week’s transfer deadline remains the priority. Telegraph Sport also understands that a move to Saudi Arabia is currently not on the cards, with the forward still hoping to resurrect his England career.
News of Sterling’s exclusion came on another busy day of transfer activity at Chelsea, who announced the £45 million permanent signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid hours after Conor Gallagher completed his £34 million move in the other direction.
With regard to Sterling and Chilwell, Maresca said: “In this moment, they are training apart. The situation with them both is quite clear. If they are looking for minutes, then it is better if they leave. If they do not leave, then they have a contract here and they are Chelsea players.”
It remains to be seen whether Sterling and Chilwell will be able to secure satisfactory moves elsewhere before the end of the month. Both are among Chelsea’s highest earners, with Sterling thought to take home around £300,000 per week on a contract that still has three years remaining.
Sterling’s number seven shirt has been given to new winger Pedro Neto, who joined the club from Wolves for £54 million earlier this month. Trevoh Chalobah, another Chelsea player whose future is uncertain, also had his shirt number taken away from him with new signing Felix to wear the academy product’s 14.
Maresca said Sterling does not fit into his plans because he prefers “different kinds of wingers”. He also said he has not spoken to Sterling since last week, as he has nothing more to add.
“I spoke with Raheem, one-on-one, the day before City and I explained to him exactly the situation,” said Maresca. “I don’t see Raheem after the game. He is training apart as I said, but in case I sit with Raheem, I will tell him exactly the same things that I already told him. I don’t have anything new to tell him because I was quite clear.”
Asked if he was being “brutal” in his treatment of his bloated squad, Maresca said: “I don’t think so. I try to be honest. I can repeat again if it’s not clear: I spoke with Raheem before the City game, I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason why he is out of the squad.
“With Chilly [Chilwell], I said he is a lovely guy, but he is going to struggle because of his position. He is going to struggle. If you define this as brutal, it’s up to you to decide. For me, it’s not brutal, it’s just honest.”
Much has been made of Chelsea’s enormous squad, which already had more than 40 players before the confirmation of Felix’s arrival from Atletico.
But Maresca, whose side meet Servette on Thursday in a Europa Conference League play-off match, insisted the discussion around the squad size is external “noise” which is not having an impact on his work at the training ground.
“The noise is more outside, because I have been working with 21 or 22 players since we came from the USA,” he said. “I am not working with 42 or 43 players. You like to say we have 42 or 43 players but more than 15 players are training apart. They are not with the team.
“Chelsea players, yes, 42 or 43, sure, but they are not working with me every day. I don’t see them so it’s not a mess like it looks from outside. Absolutely not.
“I am here to make decisions and decide what is the best for the team. I am not here to talk about how many years [are left on a player’s] contract. It is not my job.
“If it is a six-year contract, or a 20-year contract, I don’t care. I am just here to make the right decisions for the team.”
Asked if exiled players such as Sterling and Chilwell could play for Chelsea again if they do not leave the club during this transfer window, Maresca added: “We will see. Now is a bit early. There are still 10 days of the transfer window. Many things can happen in the last 10 days, the last week. We will see.”
The departure of Gallagher brings an end to the academy graduate’s 18-year association with the club, and comes after Chelsea told him that he would not be a regular player under Maresca.
Chelsea published a goodbye video to Gallagher on their social media platform, featuring clips of the player as an academy prospect, charting his journey to the first team and saying he will “forever be a Blue”.
Gallagher was a hugely popular player at Stamford Bridge, where many fans chanted his name during Sunday’s loss to City. The 24-year-old regularly captained the club last season, when he was a key player under Mauricio Pochettino, and was honoured with an enormous banner last season.
“To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true. It’s been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions,” Gallagher said.
“I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans. Hearing the chant of my name at the Bridge is a special feeling, and the banner you displayed [against Spurs] meant the world to me.
“Thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the future, and I hope to see you all soon at Stamford Bridge.”