Maresca says fisherman's life was harder than Sterling and Disasi amid Chelsea training dispute

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca dismissed sympathy for Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi amid their ongoing exclusion from the first-team squad, saying his father’s life as a fisherman was far tougher than the conditions facing Chelsea’s players. The remarks came after Chelsea held talks with the Professional Footballers' Association over the players training away from the senior group.

Maresca said he has been in Sterling’s and Disasi’s situation as a player, and he acknowledged the emotional difficulty, but stressed that the club is providing the tools for them to train. "My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he's been a fisherman, working from two o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock in the morning. This is a hard life - not the way a player works," Maresca said.

Maresca also cited FIFA regulations governing players who are isolated from squads, noting that the issue could lead to a contractual ‘just cause’ scenario if a solution isn't found. "When no solution is found, you give the player all the tools to train and do anything, but if you are not in the squad, you are not in the squad," he said. "It's not about Chelsea, it is about any club in the world."

Sterling, 30, is under a deal worth about £325,000 a week and has just under two years left. Interest from overseas clubs including Juventus, Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen was reported, but the former England forward chose to stay in London to remain close to his family. Arsenal did not sign him on loan, while Fulham pursued other options for their wide positions.

Disasi, under contract to 2029, sought a loan move to his former club Monaco, but Monaco did not submit a formal offer. Loan options to Bournemouth, Sunderland and West Ham fell through before the transfer deadline earlier this month.

Garnacho, Chelsea's winger, is reportedly "ready to start" against Manchester United on Saturday. The 21-year-old has made two substitute appearances since joining Chelsea for around £40 million in August. Garnacho was told to seek a loan from United head coach Ruben Amorim at the end of last season and had questioned Amorim’s decision not to start him in the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham. Maresca noted: "I don't know [if he will be booed]. The same happened to Marc Cucurella against Bayern Munich, which is not easy, but as a player you have to learn to endure these kinds of things."