Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor, has criticised Chelsea for their treatment of Raheem Sterling, with concerns the consequences will have on his mental health, Afrosport reports.
The 30-year-old England winger has been frozen out of the first team, with head coach Enzo Maresca making it clear.
Sterling, who spent time on loan at Arsenal last season, is also training alone, further raising questions about his future at the club after failing to secure a move in the summer transfer window, and still has a contract until 2027.
Agbonlahor, speaking about the sir using on TalkSPORT Breakfast with Alan Brazil, said: “For Raheem Sterling, yes, last season wasn’t at his best. 17 Premier League games for Arsenal, only four starts, no goals, two assists. But he’s only 30, Raheem Sterling now.
“82 England caps, 20 goals, four Premier League titles, five League Cups, one FA Cup. And he’s training on his own, being treated so badly by the manager.
“This is the problem that I have with some fans, because they moan about players like Isak, like Wissa, wanting to leave. But when a club doesn’t want you, they will treat you like absolute garbage.
“They will make you train at this time. They will make you sit in the changing room on your own, away from your teammates.
“What about Raheem Sterling’s mental health? What about [Axel] Disasi’s mental health?”
Sterling joined Chelsea from Manchester City in July 2022 for £47.5million as one of the marquee signings under the new ownership of Todd Boehly, and has gone on to make 81 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 15 assists.
He reportedly earns over £300,000 per week which is one of the reasons the Blues hierarchy deem him surplus to requirements. Agbonlahor has also called on the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to step in and do something about the situation.
“…When a club doesn’t want you, Alan, they will do everything to drive you out of that football club. They want you down in the dumps, so you just leave,” he continued.
“I’m just glad I played when I played because it’s just ridiculous.
“Surely the PFA can do something about it. They’ve got to come into it. I’m sure you have to have more than five or six players. I have to check this out. You could just go home if you wanted to.
“There’s got to be a certain amount of players that you’re training with. I think that’s a rule that clubs have to have.
“So maybe they’re using some of the younger lads, the Under-21s, Under-18s, that they might be training with…”
IT’S MATCHDAY IN THE #UCL! ✨
The Blues face Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. 👊🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/QqcklZql7m
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 17, 2025
Sterling will once again be without the Chelsea squad as they face Bayern Munich in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday followed by a highly-anticipated Premier League clash with Manchester United on Saturday at Old Trafford.
