London, Aug 18 (IANS): Chelsea FC face a major problem heading into the new Premier League season. The spending spree that the club has been on in the past two seasons has left them scrambling to offload a number of players either on loan or on permanent basis in order to build a balance in their side.

One such player who has been caught in the crossfire of what can only be described as uncharacteristic spending is Raheem Sterling. The forward has been left out of the squad by Enzo Maresca for their game against Manchester City on Sunday which has seen the midfielder left in uncertainty and is seeking ‘clarity’ on his future.

“Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years,” Sterling’s camp have said to Daily Mail on his situation.

“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.”

Following Sterling’s exclusion from the squad, Maresca claimed the decision to exclude Sterling was only a technical decision.

“The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don’t like it, that’s normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that,” said Enzo to Sky Sports.

Alongside Sterling, Conor Gallagher and Ben Chilwell are other players who seem to have a future away from Stamford Bridge waiting for them and are excluded from the matchday squad.