Enzo Maresca sends brutal warning to Raheem Sterling & exiled Chelsea stars

Enzo Maresca has warned the Chelsea players who have been removed from his first-team squad that they will not see any minutes this season if they choose to remain at Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling is the headline name in an exiled group which also includes Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Romelu Lukaku and a number of other players for whom Chelsea are trying to find either permanent or temporary transfers.

Sterling has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in a deal which could bring Jadon Sancho to Stamford Bridge, although there is a lot of work to be done ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.

Asked if he had any advice to Sterling after his shock exile, Maresca responded: "My advice - he knows exactly what he has to do. He doesn't need my advice.

"I prefer to be honest with the player, with Raheem, I've been exactly the same. The ones who are not involved, they are all players who are not going to be involved and they don't get any minutes in case they stay.

"I don't know what happens, when the window closes. We will see who is here and who is not here. The only thing I can say is the ones who are going to get minutes are the ones who I think can help us.

"It's not just Raheem. It's all the players who in this moment are training apart. In the moment the transfer window closes, they are not going to get minutes. I've already been clear with them and honest and this is the only reason why."

Chelsea have been working to reduce the size of their unwanted group. Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Bournemouth on loan, while fellow goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has agreed to join the Blues' sister side Strasbourg in France.

Romelu Lukaku is in Italy to undergo a medical ahead of a permanent switch to Napoli.

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