Daniel Sturridge has come to the defence of Raheem Sterling following his recent statement about being left out of Chelsea’s squad for their Premier League opener against Manchester City.
Sterling was unexpectedly omitted by new manager Enzo Maresca, who described the decision as a “technical choice.”
Despite this, Sterling is seeking “clarity” regarding his future at Chelsea, and Maresca has acknowledged the possibility of Sterling being sold.
The statement from Sterling’s camp, released shortly after Chelsea announced their squad, has faced significant criticism from pundits.
Jamie Redknapp dismissed it as “absolute rubbish,” Micah Richards suggested it should have been kept “in house,” and Jamie Carragher called it “ridiculous.”
Daniel Sturridge, who was a teammate of Sterling’s at Liverpool and with England, has defended Sterling’s response.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Sturridge stated that Sterling is a “good enough player to be in Chelsea’s squad.”
He said: “I want to say that I have a lot of love and respect for Raheem Sterling as a football player.
“As a guy, he’s a young brother of mine. The timing’s not great, especially on the day of the game.
“But he will feel he’s good enough to help Chelsea Football Club. In his mind, he’s probably thinking, ‘Going up against City today, my old club, get out there’.
“I think he’s probably surprised by not being involved.
“I don’t agree with it, with the message going out on the day of the game.
“Obviously, it’s not good timing, but Raheem Sterling, in my opinion, is a good enough player to be in Chelsea’s squad.”
The statement from Sterling’s camp read: “Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
“He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.
“He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.
“As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation.
“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”
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