Sterling's absence from the matchday squad. The club's position is now known

Chelsea kicked off their Premier League season with a match against Manchester City. The decision by the Blues' manager to exclude Raheem Sterling from the squad came as quite a surprise.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the London club's management was aware of this decision and fully supports Enzo Maresca. The Italian specialist informed them of his choice on Friday, and the executives agreed with him.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca commented on Raheem Sterling's absence from the squad for the match against Manchester City (0:2).

Earlier, it was reported that Chelsea and Juventus representatives discussed a potential swap deal, where Federico Chiesa and Raheem Sterling would exchange clubs.

However, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, the negotiations quickly stalled due to disagreements over player valuations and their salaries (Sterling earns nearly twice as much as Chiesa).

Notably, Chelsea lost to City 0:2 without Sterling. The goals for the "Citizens" were scored by Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovačić.