Raheem Sterling has come under criticism over his recent performances for Chelsea.
The 27-year-old started the season very well following his £50 million move to Chelsea after scoring 3 goals and providing an assist in his first 5 matches for Chelsea.
After scoring in his first five games, Raheem Sterling has struggled to score or provide an assist in his last five Premier League appearances for Chelsea. He is yet to score a goal under Graham Potter.
There have been calls for Raheem Sterling to be replaced in the Chelsea lineup by Christian Pulisic. Sterling has often been deployed as a wing-back by Graham Potter following the injury to Reece James.
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However, Graham Potter had played down those criticisms and has insisted that playing Raheem Sterling is not attributed to his recent run of poor form.
What did Graham Potter say about Sterling’s poor form?
On Raheem Sterling’s recent struggles, Graham Potter said: “It’s something we have to look at not by zooming into one person but as a team.
“We can do better but if we do better as a team then individuals will benefit from that so that’s where the work is.
“Raheem has the flexibility, ability, and quality to play in a number of positions. It’s not straightforward with us losing the players we have so we’re trying to constantly find the right balance and the right solutions but he can help us in a number of positions.”
Potter also added the World Cup could affect the performance of the players because of the fear of injury.
Chelsea have had two players ruled out of the World Cup. Reece James and N’Golo Kante have been ruled out of the World Cup.
Raphael Varane was seen leaving the pitch in tears after the French international was injured in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
He added: I don’t think it affects their performances, they’re fully focused but they’re also human beings so somewhere subconsciously you’re thinking that in three weeks’ time there’s a World Cup.
“I guess because of how close it is after the games finish, normally you would have a build-up phase and a bit more time but we’re going from the competition phase to playing the World Cup within a week.
“It’s incredible how it is but we can’t do anything about it. We just have to help the players as best we can and make sure they’re not in dangerous situations for their own health.
On a recent Chelsea injury, Graham Potter said: “We have to manage the players and deal with what we have. Everyone is challenged at this part of the season, the schedule is relentless so it’s always a balance between sharing the load with the players because they are not robots. They have to deal with the schedule. The boys are in a good place in terms of fighting for each other so that is a good starting point.”
Chelsea will face RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday.
