Chelsea’s major summer clear-out saw 21 players depart and brought in around £290million, yet three players have been left behind with no route back under head coach Enzo Maresca.
Despite heavy turnover during the transfer window, Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana remain on the books but have been completely removed from first-team plans. Maresca confirmed they train separately at Cobham and have not been involved with the squad at any point this season.
“They are still Chelsea players because they have contracts,” Maresca explained in his pre-match press briefing. “Right now, they train away from the group, on another pitch at a different time. I haven’t seen them since the season started, and nothing about that will change.”
No way back into the squad
When asked if there was any path for the trio to return to the senior side, Maresca was emphatic: “With us? No.”
Even as Chelsea face an injury crisis before their upcoming Premier League clash with Brentford, the coach has ruled them out of contention for matchday squads. The three have been labelled part of a ‘bomb squad’ and are working entirely apart from Maresca’s main group.
Difficulties moving them on
Sterling, 30, is the biggest obstacle to shift, with a contract running for another two years and wages reported at £300,000 per week. He spent last season on loan at Arsenal but drew little interest this summer due to his salary.
Disasi, 27, returned from a loan at Aston Villa and attracted attention from Sunderland, Bournemouth and West Ham, yet he was holding out for a Monaco comeback that never arrived.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Fofana came back from a temporary stint with Turkish side Goztepe but was also unable to secure a transfer. All three were registered in Chelsea’s Premier League squad, yet they remain frozen out and are not considered part of Maresca’s plans moving forward.
