Why is Raheem Sterling unavilable to face Chelsea this weekend?

Arsenal have uncharacteristically been losing matches in recent weeks.

The Gunners were beaten in Champions League on Wednesday night by Inter, which came off the back of a Premier League defeat to Newcastle United just days earlier.

Having also surprisingly lost against Bournemouth following the October international break, as well as dropping points against Liverpool, Mikel Arteta's side have won only two of their last six games in all competitions. But their last Premier League victory was back on 5 October.

Those results have seen Arsenal fall off the pace set by Liverpool in the title race, seven points behind the Reds. They have also slipped out of the top four for at least the time being thanks to Nottingham Forest's surprise form and Chelsea's resurgence.

Ahead of meeting the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal are level points with their London rivals but marginally behind on goal difference. It is a must-win game for both.

One player who won't be involved, however, is Raheem Sterling.

Why won't Raheem Sterling play for Arsenal against Chelsea?

Sterling was a surprise addition for the Gunners at the end of the summer transfer window as Chelsea sought to trim a bloated squad and offload players not part of Enzo Maresca’s plans.

Manchester United were linked with the former Liverpool and Manchester City winger, but it was Arsenal who ended up taking him on loan for the duration of 2024/25.

The Gunners are not believed to have paid a loan fee for Sterling and it has been reported that they are paying significantly less than 50% of his salary – perhaps even as little as £100,000 per week of a contract worth £325,000 – with Chelsea covering the rest.

But the fact that Sterling is on loan from Chelsea is why he cannot be involved on Sunday, with Premier League rules outlawing players from featuring against their parent club. It was once the case that the clubs could agree that between themselves, which famously saw Lomana LuaLua score for Portsmouth against Newcastle in 2004. The rules were changed afterwards as a result.

Sterling's future beyond this season remains uncertain, with no option to make the Arsenal transfer permanent included in the deal. That means any fee would have to be negotiated, while the Gunners could simply let him return to Chelsea if they decide they don't want to keep him.

Fans are unlikely to miss Sterling against Chelsea. With his best days arguably behind him, he has been unable to command a regular place in Arteta’s team, making only four Premier League appearances that have totalled 123 minutes. His only starts have come in the Carabao Cup, with his only two goal involvements in an Arsenal shirt coming against League One's Bolton Wanderers.

Arsenal's unavailable players vs Chelsea

Martin Odegaard is no longer out of action after making his eagerly anticipated comeback from an ankle injury in midweek. But other players besides Sterling will be missing against Chelsea.

Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino are both doubts with head injuries, although Arteta has expressed hope that both will available come the weekend. Declan Rice is a bigger concern with a foot problem.

Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney won't return until after the international break.

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