Enzo Maresca names two Chelsea stars he has told to leave

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed he has told England internationals Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell they should look for transfers away from the club before the window closes later this month.

The Blues have a bloated squad and are hoping to shift a number of players, having adopted a mass recruitment strategy since Todd Boehly took the ownership reins from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

Former Manchester City forward Sterling was left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against his old team on Sunday, with his camp admitting their surprise at the omission after an active pre-season. There was also no Chilwell, with Euro 2024 winner Marc Cucurella starting at left-back.

Speaking about Sterling and Chilwell his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday's Conference League clash with Servette, Maresca told reporters: "They are training apart. As I said, the situation is quite clear and there is not any update on the situation.

"They are Chelsea players until they are not Chelsea players. But it's impossible to give them all minutes. Those who want minutes, they are better off to leave."

He added: "I try to be honest. I spoke with Raheem before the City game. I said he's going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is the reason. With Chilly, he is a lovely guy but he will struggle. If you define this as brutal, it's up to you to decide. For me, it's not brutal, it's just honest."

The Athletic have revealed Sterling is keen to leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis following his exclusion at the weekend. He is currently training with a group of players who have no future at the club that also includes the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

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