Sterling’s season to forget hits a new low

RAHEEM Sterling was afforded a generous round of applause from Manchester City fans as he limped past rubbing his right hamstring. They remember the goals, the assists, the performances, the titles. That must all seem like a distant dream for Sterling right now.

This, his first start against the club that sold him to a direct rival in the summer, was an opportunity to show former manager Pep Guardiola that he’d got it horribly wrong.

Instead, he was perched on his backside in the centre circle following a tangle with Ilkay Gundogan clutching the back of his right leg inside two minutes.

The grimace on his face said it all. There were more poignant reminders of happier times as City’s players joined Sterling’s Chelsea teammates to check on their stricken former team-mate after he collapsed to the turf for a second time.

His night was over, as were his hopes of showing his former club exactly what they were missing.

Sterling’s premature ending was fully in- keeping with what has largely been a season to forget.

Of course, the standards he has set himself means Sterling is judged by a tougher barometer.

Seven goals for an attacking midfielder isn’t a shabby return by any means. Yet Sterling is capable of so much more.

Circumstances haven’t helped. No sooner had he acclimatised to Thomas Tuchel, the German became the first managerial casualty of the Todd Boehly era.

Adapting to Graham Potter’s ideas has taken a while; particularly in the games he was asked to play at wing back.

Ahead of kick-off last night, Potter said: ‘He hasn’t played, at times, in his favourable position. Coming to a new club, it takes time.

‘As we spoke about, Chelsea haven’t been at their best in terms of creating chances. As long as he plays on the flank and gets into a rhythm, I think he will be a success.

‘When he’s played as a wing-back, it hasn’t worked.’

Sterling won’t be playing at all at least for the short-term. Hamstring injuries — even the most minor — usually take a minimum of two weeks to heal.

That news will come as a blow to Sterling who, after his goal against Nottingham Forest last weekend, would have been hopeful of a happier new year.

It will also come as a massive slap in the face to Potter, whose players are dropping like flies.

Mason Mount missed the game with an injury sustained in training on Wednesday. No sooner had Sterling trudged off, Christian Pulisic was joining him down the tunnel with his own injury.

In addition to Sterling, Mount and Pulisic, Chelsea are also missing Reece James, Edouard Mendy, Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Armando Broja through injury.

While Guardiola was able to introduce Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez off the bench, Potter brought on relatively untested youngsters Omari Hutchinson and Lewis Hall as he sought to impact the game after falling behind.

Having already spent in the region of £300million on players since the start of the their reign, it is perhaps handy that owners Boehly and Clearlake Capital appear happy to splurge in the transfer market.

You have to sympathise with the rough hand Potter has been dealt right now.

But history tells us that counts for very little at Chelsea. The new owners appear fully committed to Potter and so they should be.

However, Chelsea and their manager need their big players to step up — once he is fit, Sterling comes into that category.