Ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Atalanta, Enzo Maresca was asked about Raheem Sterling after losing Liam Delap to injury.
It has been relatively quiet around Sterling since Maresca was asked about the PFA enquiry made back in September as a result of Chelsea’s decision to have him and Axel Disasi train away from the first team.
Maresca said Delap’s injury was bad after the Bournemouth game, and it now looks like he’ll be out for six to eight weeks. Palmer is also not travelling.
That’s why the 31-year-old was brought up. Or maybe it’s because Sterling once scored an 11-minute hat-trick against Atalanta. Either way, the answer is the same.
Palmer out ❌
Who should start in the 10?
Enzo Maresca on Cole Palmer
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Enzo Maresca not shutting the door on Raheem Sterling, but…
Maresca is not usually one to give too much away when it comes to contentious situations like the one with Sterling.
He prefers to sit on the fence of impartiality, but sometimes you can extract what he’s thinking from the ambiguous words, which Football London were there to report.
Asked if Sterling could come back into his thinking with Delap out for some time, he says: In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel [Disasi], they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen with him.”
Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling of Chelsea during an open training session
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The question said nothing about a January transfer, but that seems to be where the Italian’s mind is going. Still, he’s right. Until he leaves the club, Sterling is in contract at Chelsea — a lucrative one at that.
Maresca proud to return to Italy as Chelsea manager
Some of Italy’s greatest managers have spent time at the helm at Stamford Bridge. Maresca is proud to follow suit.
On making his return against Atalanta, he remarks: “It’s first of all always a pleasure to come back to my country, no doubt.
“To come back in this moment, to represent one of the biggest clubs in the world like Chelsea, I feel very proud about that.”
It’s not just the position Maresca is in, but what he has done at Chelsea that should make him proud. Two trophies in his first season and more to come, surely.
Now, all that’s left is to get the win and continue Chelsea’s push for the Champions League top eight.
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