With Chelsea's Premier League clash against Manchester City behind them, 29-year-old England wing Staanen was once again left out of the squad for the UEFA Europa League play-off first leg at home to Sevcorp in the early hours of Friday morning (23). Team leader Maliska put the decision down to a "technicality" and Stanning's name has once again been dropped from the EHFU squad. Industry analysis suggests that this may mean that the England star may bid farewell to the team this summer.
After Staanen's exclusion from the Premier League roster, his manager's company spoke out publicly demanding an explanation from the club. Maliska responded by calling it a "technical decision". Nonetheless, Staanen's name has reappeared on the Premier League roster, but not in the UEFA Europa League. It has been suggested that the wing forward position is no longer in Maliska's tactical considerations, and that it may only be a matter of time before he leaves the club.
Chelsea are currently overcrowded, with the first team squad swelling to 43. Mariska has publicly stated that the overstaffing has made training more difficult and that he is interested in selling some of his players, including 27-year-old England international Chivier. The left-back has also not been named in the Premier League or Europa League squads and his future appears to be as uncertain as Staines'.
