Jamie Carragher slams former Liverpool teammate Raheem Sterling's Chelsea statement

Jamie Carragher has delivered a blunt message to Raheem Sterling, telling the Chelsea winger to 'just play better' following his statement regarding being left out of the squad for the Manchester City game.

Chelsea 's interim boss Enzo Maresca seems to have sidelined the former England star, and Sterling's response via his representatives has drawn criticism from Carragher. The Liverpool icon, while expressing admiration for Sterling both on and off the pitch, slammed the timing and necessity of the statement as 'ridiculous'.

Taking to X, Carragher didn't hold back: "Massive fan of Raheem as a player and a lad. Not a fan of the Chelsea set up with owners etc... But this statement is ridiculous! As a camp! We look forward to gaining clarity!! No need for a statement, especially an hour before kick off!! Just play better."

Sterling's camp has openly challenged Maresca's decision to exclude him from Sunday's match. Despite having three years left on his contract, there's a push for transparency regarding his role at Chelsea moving forward.

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"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years. 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," read a statement from Sterling's representatives.

The statement continued, "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."

It added, "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."

Despite the clear message from Sterling's camp, Blues boss Maresca is standing firm on his decision regarding Sterling's role in the team. When informed about the statement, Maresca told Sky Sports with composure, "It happens many times. The manager has to make some decisions. Sometimes players don't like it, that's normal. Just a technical decision, no more than that. We'll see in the next days,".

"In this moment I think no one of them [players] is 100% fit. The same for all the teams. Nicolas [Jackson] is better, Cole [Palmer] is better. Pedro [Neto] arrives a few days ago. He needs a bit more. Hopefully we can give him a few minutes."

Liverpool.com says: It is a curious tactic to release a statement calling out your club while they're playing a game. And camp or no camp - that came from Sterling. Carragher has a point, too, the statement won't help Sterling get into the team. He will have to play better. Needless to say it's not a problem for Liverpool, but mild entertainment for fans following the drama surrounding the former Red.