Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, two senior Chelsea players, are at the centre of talks between the club and the Professional Footballers’ Association after being frozen out of the first team.
Both men are currently training away from the main squad under head coach Enzo Maresca. The decision has prompted concerns from the players’ union, which is seeking assurances that they can continue to train at a professional standard.
Sterling, 30, remains one of the club’s highest earners on a contract worth around £325,000 a week, with two years left to run. Disasi, 27, is tied to Chelsea until 2029. Despite both spending last season on loan – Sterling at Arsenal and Disasi at Aston Villa – neither secured a move away during the summer transfer window.
With limited chances of featuring before January, the PFA has stepped in. A spokesperson for the union declined to comment on private discussions but confirmed it was “working closely with all parties to ensure players’ rights are respected.”
FIFA regulations make clear that clubs isolating players from the first-team environment could be in breach of rules designed to prevent what the body defines as “abusive conduct.” In extreme cases, this can allow a player to seek a contract termination.
At Chelsea’s training base in Surrey, Sterling and Disasi have been given their own schedules and assigned a coach. While the club insists it is acting fairly, the PFA has reminded officials of their obligations under FIFA law.
Chelsea, sources say, explored several exit options for Sterling this summer, including Bayern Munich and Napoli. Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray were also linked. But Sterling, who has young children settled in London and a son in Arsenal’s academy, preferred to stay in the south of England.
For now, both men remain in limbo — still on Chelsea’s books, but far from the first-team picture.
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