Raheem Sterling has offered fans an insight into the grim reality of life in Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ after Enzo Maresca revealed he has not seen any of his Blues exiles this summer.
Sterling, 30, is among a small group of players who were unable to secure moves away from Stamford Bridge after deadline day and is now back at Cobham training separately from the first team for the foreseeable future.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca brutally shut down talk of a second chance for the former Man City and Liverpool man, despite the Blues’ growing injury list.
And on Monday night Sterling took to Instagram to share his lonely experience on the periphery at Chelsea.
The 30-year-old shared an image of Cobham’s empty training pitches showing the time as 20:21 with the caption ‘training’ alongside a handshake and cold face emoji.
He also uploaded a snap of his Chelsea training kit and his Puma football boots.
Raheem Sterling has revealed the brutal reality of life in Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca (left) says there is no way back for Raheem Sterling at the club
Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ have been kept away from first team training this season
On Friday, a bullish Maresca said there was little chance of him shifting his stance regarding his outcasts, which also include Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana.
‘They are Chelsea players because they have a contract with the club,’ the Blues boss said. ‘In this moment, they are still training apart. The idea is to continue in exactly the same way.
‘Since we started the season, I didnt see one of them. I didn’t see Renato (Veiga), I didn’t see Axel (Disasi), I didn’t see Raheem (Sterling), because they train at a different time on a different pitch. I haven’t seen them since we started the season.’
Asked if there was any way back into the first team for them, Maresca said: ‘With us? No.’
Sterling’s latest post comes amid reports that a European club enquired for his services towards the end of the transfer window.
According to Telegraph Sport, Bayern Munich made a deadline day enquiry for the 30-year-old.
The Bundesliga giants were in the thick of discussions over Blues teammate Nicolas Jackson – who did eventually book a loan move to the Allianz after an 11th-hour delay following injury to Chelsea’s summer signing Liam Delap – and are believed to have also considered bringing in Sterling.
Serie A champions Napoli were also thought to have been interested in the player, but Sterling is allegedly interested in remaining in England, if not London itself.
The player’s mammoth £325,000-a-week wages were believed to have been a stumbling block for a number of suitors.
Daily Mail Sport also reported at the start of the month that Sterling is unwilling to move to Saudi Arabia, despite the Saudi Pro League’s window remaining open until September 23.
