CHELSEA manager Enzo Maresca has told left-back Ben Chilwell to LEAVE the club.
Chilwell has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge over the last year amid Chelsea’s influx of signings.
The 27-year-old’s bid to remain in the first team squad has not been helped by his recurring injury issues.
And now he looks set to be exiled from the squad altogether, with new manager Maresca suggesting it would be “better” for him to leave.
On Friday, the Italian said: “Chilly is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill.
“The reason he did not play [in last week’s pre-season friendly] versus Inter was because, with Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position.
“This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday. But that is impossible.
“When you train every day and do not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me.
“I need to make a decision and probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we’ll see what happens.”
Chelsea currently have over 40 first team players available for selection.
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Maresca admits the squad has to be trimmed before the transfer window closes.
He revealed: “We spent 20 days in America with 28 or 29 players, so it was quite good to manage the squad.
“Now we have guys who are not part of the squad and are training apart.
“At the moment, it is not difficult, but if I start to think I have 43 players, it’s not good.”
Conor Gallagher is currently in limbo having been forced out of the first team squad.
Atletico Madrid were on the verge of signing him, but the deal stalled earlier this week and the midfielder has since returned to London.
Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah, Kepa Arrizabalaga, David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja have also been linked with a move away.
Chelsea kick off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Manchester City on Sunday.
STAY in the know this summer with The Sun's transfer experts.
Chelsea are on the verge of landing £85million Napoli star Victor Osimhen — in an extraordinary player-swap deal.
Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher is in transfer limbo, with the Chelsea midfielder’s proposed £33.7million move to Atletico Madrid in huge doubt.
Elsewhere, Newcastle have made a FOURTH bid worth £65million for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, according to reports.
In other news, Chelsea are preparing to offer Manchester United two players and a transfer fee to sign Jadon Sancho, according to sensational reports in Germany.
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