Sterling in, Balotelli out – Liverpool's pre-season squad named

The England international is expected to join up with his team-mates on Sunday to fly out to Bangkok but there is no room in the party for the Italian attacker


Liverpool have named Raheem Sterling in their 30-man squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand, Australia and Malaysia but omitted Mario Balotelli.

Sterling has informed manager Brendan Rodgers of his desire to leave the club with Manchester City currently preparing a third bid in the region of £45 million for the 20-year-old.

Sterling missed pre-season training with the Reds twice this week, citing illness, before returning on Friday while his agent Aidy Ward, says all trust between Sterling and Rodgers has now evaporated.

Elsewhere striker Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique have all been left out of the squad with all three players having been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

Balotelli returned to training this week having been granted compassionate leave following the death of his father, but his absence from the squad suggests his days as a Liverpool player are numbered after a poor first season at the club.

As expected Roberto Firmino and Phillipe Coutinho miss out due to their post-Copa America break while Emre Can is another absentee due to his participation in the Under-21s European Championship.

Full squad: Mignolet, Bogdan, Fulton, Clyne, Gomez, Lovren, Moreno, Toure, Wisdom, Cleary, Skrtel, Sakho, Maguire, Allen, Henderson, Lucas, Milner, Chirivella, Rossiter, Teixeira, Ibe, Kent, Ojo, Wilson, Lallana, Markovic, Sterling, Ings, Lambert, Origi.

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