‘Better for them to leave’ – Enzo Maresca sends ‘honest’ message to Raheem Sterling AND Ben Chilwell amid ‘impossible’ Chelsea situation

Enzo Maresca has advised Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell to seek alternative clubs, acknowledging the impracticality of providing playing time to every member of Chelsea’s squad.
Sterling and Chilwell are undergoing separate training sessions.
Senior pair excluded from Maresca’s strategy
The transfer window will close on August 30th.

Tottenham manager Maresca told Sterling and Chilwell that they won’t get the minutes they want at Stamford Bridge, so they will both look for new clubs before the transfer window closes. There is a clear sign of their current status at the club: both senior players are working away from the first team and were left off the team for Sunday’s game against Manchester City.

On Thursday, Maresca told the press that Sterling and Chilwell can’t play because he has a “big squad,” which means they can’t be in the Europa Conference League play-off first match. Players like Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, and another summer signing, Pedro Neto, are all fighting for spots in attack now that Joao Felix has gone back to west London. Chilwell isn’t as good as Marc Cucurella or Renato Veiga at left back.

“[Sterling and Chilwell] are training apart,” Maresca said. It is pretty clear what is going on with both of them. Because we have a big team, we can’t give everyone time. If all they want is a few minutes, they should leave. I do my best to be honest. Before the Manchester City game, Raheem and I talked. I told him it would be hard to get minutes with us, which is why he wasn’t there. And Chilly is a nice guy, but I told him he would have a hard time with his job. It is only honest and not mean.

“I am not saying Raheem is not a good player,” the 44-year-old said. “But I prefer different kinds of wingers.”

Maresca also played down worries about how big his team was. “You like to say we have 42-43 players, but more than 15 players are apart from the team,” he stated. “I work with about 25 people. From the outside, it doesn’t look like a mess.
The Blues will be getting ready for their European match on Thursday. The lineup from the loss to City is expected to be changed. At the same time, Sterling and Chilwell are trying to figure out their plans before the deadline on August 30.