Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino admits there is nothing he can say to Raheem Sterling to help him cope with being omitted from the England squad again.
Sterling now looks set to be left out of England’s squad for the European Championships this summer having been arguably their best player when they reached the final three years ago.
The 29-year-old won the last of his 82 caps in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in December 2022. He has not been selected by national team coach Gareth Southgate ever since.
Southgate has until June 7 to name his 23-man squad for the tournament, but the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month provides a major indication who Southgate will choose.
When asked by The Athletic if he is able to help Sterling cope with the disappointment, Pochettino said: “It’s difficult to talk because what am I going to tell him? All we can do is support him and try to help him to perform here. It is not our decision.
“Of course he needs to perform well to convince Gareth but what I tell him is no consolation, (nothing I can say) can make him happy. Nothing. Football is like this.”
GO DEEPER
Chelsea are still to see the best of Raheem Sterling – he is determined to put that right
Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has received a call-up, just one week after having to see a specialist about a knee injury he sustained at Brentford.
The problem is not as bad as first feared and he is in contention to start Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter-final at home to Leicester City on Sunday.
Pochettino added: “He is fit and back in training. Everything is going well and he will be in the squad for Sunday.
“We didn’t talk this morning about that (England) because we were talking about us, about Chelsea. But of course when a player comes back from injury and starts to feel fit, gets a call up to England, they are excited for sure.”
GO DEEPER
Chilwell to see specialist about fresh knee injury
(Clive Mason/Getty Images)
