Raheem Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after break-in at home
England forward Raheem Sterling has left the Three Lions' World Cup camp in Qatar after a break-in at his home in London.
The 27-year-old started the first two of England's games at the World Cup, scoring twice in a 6-2 win over Iran, before being rotated out of their Group B finale.
However, he was not available for England's 3-0 last-16 win over Senegal on Sunday. England announced 90 minutes prior to the match that Sterling would be unavailable due to "a family matter." Bukayo Sako and Phil Foden started on the wings instead.
Police in the English county of Surrey outside London said in a statement they were investigating "a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead.” The statement said police were contacted Saturday night “after the occupants of the property came home and discovered a number of items including jewelry and watches had been stolen.”
The police later issued an update to say they were still investigating when the theft happened, and responded to reports that the thieves were armed.
“We are aware of media reports stating there were armed suspects involved, however, at this time, we would reassure our communities that no witnesses have come forward to this effect and there are no reports of any threats of violence linked to this incident,” the statement said.
England coach Gareth Southgate said that he wasn't sure whether Sterling would be able to return, and acknowledged that family had to come first.
“We’ve got to give him time to try to resolve that or be there for his family,” Southgate said. “That’s the most important thing at this time, so we’re going to give him that space.
"At the moment it's a situation where he needs time with his family and I don't want to put him under any pressure with that."
FIFA rules do not allow for players to be replaced once their first match of the tournament is 24 hours away, meaning England cannot add a player if Sterling does not return.
Associated Press contributed to the article.