Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has spoken once more on Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi being forced to train apart from his squad.
The Chelsea duo have been ordered to remain away from regular first-team activities after being deemed surplus to requirements and not securing moves away from Stamford Bridge this past summer.
The forward and defender must only come to Chelsea's Cobham Training Training Centre at allocated times and have to work with a coach assigned to them.
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The Premier League club's treatment of the pair has been criticised, with former Aston Villa player and talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor among those to call out Chelsea's handling of the situation.
The Professional Footballers' Association have recently been engaged in talks with Chelsea to ensure Sterling and Disasi are being allocated sufficient training conditions.
Under FIFA regulations, players training away from their teammates must not be subjected to any "abusive conduct" by clubs, otherwise they may have a case to get their contract terminated.
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Maresca's response to criticism of the situation
Maresca was asked about Sterling and Disasi's current situation ahead of Chelsea's game away to Manchester United on Saturday evening (September 20).
"I've been in Raheem and Axel's situation as a player. I know it's not the best feeling. You want to train and play," said the Chelsea manager in his pre-match news conference on Friday (September 19).
The Blues boss then assured reporters that the duo are being treated fairly and that Chelsea are not the only club handling these sorts of situations in this manner.
"For different reasons, the situation is the situation it is at the moment. I know the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way."
"If you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad. It's not about Chelsea, it's any club in the world," Maresca explained.
When the 45-year-old was quizzed about Sterling and Disasi's mental health possibly being affected due to their circumstances, he expressed little sympathy as he compared the life of a footballer to the one of his father.
"My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman, working from 2am to 10am. This is hard in life, not a player in the way they work," Maresca bluntly remarked.
The banished pair and Chelsea will mutually hope that the current situation does not go on for too much longer.
The January transfer window will present the next opportunity for Sterling and Disasi to move on to other clubs.
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