Chelsea Manager Maresca Confirms Sterling, Disasi Exiled From First Team

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has made clear that Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi have no future in his first-team plans, with both players training separately and not seen by Maresca since the start of the 2025–26 season. Despite being registered in Chelsea's Premier League squad, Sterling and Disasi are part of the club's so-called “bomb squad” of outcasts, sidelined due to their failure to secure transfers during the summer window and their inability to impress Maresca. Sterling rejected moves to Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen to stay close to family in London, while Disasi turned down offers from Premier League clubs, hoping to return to Monaco, but no suitable deals were reached. Maresca's approach underscores a commitment to building a cohesive core squad, even if it means bearing the financial costs of fringe players' contracts. Separately, Maresca's team selection has raised questions, notably his decision to exclude striker Marc Guiu from the squad despite recent injuries, opting instead to give playing time and confidence to Ty George, whose performances he described as merely 'okay.' These decisions illustrate Maresca's management style focused on planned substitutions and strategic squad management amid Chelsea's ongoing restructuring.