Raheem Sterling to fly home from World Cup after armed burglary at home

Raheem Sterling is to fly home from the World Cup in Qatar after burglars broke into his family home on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old missed England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16, which booked a quarter-final date with France on Saturday.

Sterling had been expected to return to England’s starting lineup after dropping to the bench against Wales – manager Gareth Southgate had always picked him from the start in knockout stage games – but it emerged ahead of kick-off that he had been left out of the squad to immediately attend to a ‘personal matter’.

It’s now been confirmed by various sources, including the Telegraph and Guardian, that Sterling’s home was broken into armed intruders on Saturday night, and he will now fly back to the United Kingdom to check on the wellbeing of his family.

Asked whether Sterling will return to Qatar, Southgate told ITV after England’s win: “I really don’t know because at the moment it’s a situation that he needs to be with his family to deal with.

“I don’t want to put him under any pressure with this. Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing and family has to come first.”

England captain Harry Kane, who broke his duck at the World Cup with the second goal of the game against Senegal, also said his thoughts are with Sterling and his family: “Our thoughts are with him and his family. It’s a private matter but it’s never easy to see one of your teammates and friends deal with something like that.

“We’ll have to take it day by day. I’m sure Raheem will speak to the manager and take the best decision for him and his family. That’s the most important thing. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him as soon as possible.”

It’s hoped that Sterling will rejoin England’s squad and, as it stands, he has not been ruled out of the tournament.