Raheem Sterling’s representatives want “clarity” over the striker’s future at Chelsea after he was left out of the squad for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.

In a statement, his representatives said Sterling had a “good working relationship” with new Blues manager Enzo Maresca, but there was an “expectation” that he would also be involved in Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have spent around £185m on 11 new signings this summer, meaning Maresca now has a squad of more than 40 experienced players.

“He returned to England two weeks early to train individually and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, with whom he has built up a good working relationship,” the statement said.

“He is, as ever, determined to perform at his best for Chelsea FC and the fans he values ​​so highly and, given his mention in the club’s official pre-match material this week, we assumed Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s encounter in some capacity.

“As a camp, we have always had a positive dialogue with Chelsea FC and received assurances from him regarding Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to getting clarity on the situation.

“Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season positively.”

Asked about his decision not to use Sterling, Maresca told Sky Sports: “The coach has to make some decisions. Sometimes the players don’t like it, that’s normal.”

“Purely a technical decision, nothing more.”

Sterling has played 81 times for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City for £50 million in July 2022.

He was one of the first players to join the club after it was taken over by co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly.

Since then, around £1.5 billion has been spent on transfers, with a focus on younger players with high resale value.