Chelsea Defends Isolating Sterling, Disasi Amid PFA Concerns

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has defended the club's decision to isolate Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi from the first-team squad, stating that the players are still being given the opportunity to train properly despite not being involved in matchday plans. Both players, who failed to secure moves away during the summer transfer window, are training and eating separately from the rest of the team, a situation that the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has questioned due to concerns about contract conditions. Maresca acknowledged that being excluded from the squad is not ideal but emphasized that this practice is common across football clubs globally when player and club find no solution. The Chelsea boss compared the players' situation to his own experiences and highlighted that life as a footballer is not as hard as other professions, suggesting the players are being treated fairly. FIFA regulations address the issue of player isolation, which can be deemed abusive, but Chelsea reportedly tried to facilitate transfers for Sterling before the window closed. Despite the PFA's intervention, Maresca remains firm that Sterling and Disasi must continue training alone until a resolution is found, with no path back to the first team currently planned.