"It's in your hands to perform but not after" - Pochettino reacts to Chelsea star's omission from the latest England squad

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has reacted to Raheem Sterling's absence from the England squad for their upcoming fixtures.

The Three Lions are set to host Malta in the 2024 UEFA Euro Qualifiers on November 17 before facing North Macedonia three days later. Manager Gareth Southgate has excluded Sterling from his squad again despite the winger's recent performances.

In a pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash against Manchester City on November 12, Pochettino spoke about Sterling's absence from the England squad. He said (via Football.London):

"It's difficult to talk because I don't want to say anything against the decision and respect the decision. Not only Raheem, all of the England players are desperate to go with thhe England team. The only way to change the situation is to work hard with your club. They are all desperate to be involved. It's in your hands to perform but not after."

Sterling has been good for Chelsea this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 13 games across competitions. He appears to be more direct and has found his dribbling boots back after an underwhelming 2022-23 season.

The Englishman joined the Blues from Manchester City for £47.5 million last summer. He contributed nine goals and four assists in 38 games across competitions for Chelsea last season.

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Gareth Southgate on Chelsea star Raheem Sterling's absence from England squad

Raheem Sterling last featured for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual finalists France. He missed the first international break after that due to injuries and hasn't been called up since.

Gareth Southgate was asked about the Chelsea winger during his recent squad announcement and he replied (via Goal):

"The door is 100 per cent open, not only for Raheem. We don't need to know about his quality or personality. He is a crucial part of why we've had the journey we've had last few years. I can only repeat, the team is playing really well. We had an exceptional win here against Italy... who do we leave out to put him in? It's as simple as that."

Sterling has been a key player for Southgate over the years. He has scored 20 goals and provided 27 assists in 82 games for England. He also won the Three Lions' Player of the Year award in 2019.