The Chelsea midfielder will not play again this season.The Chelsea midfielder will not play again this season.
The Chelsea midfielder will not play again this season. | Getty Images
Enzo Maresca will not be able to use his £19 million summer signing this season for Chelsea.
Chelsea midfielder Omari Kellyman has confirmed that he will not play again this season having re-injured his hamstring on his return to football.
The Blues paid £19 million to sign the 19-year-old from Aston Villa last summer. Kellyman was not involved in the club’s pre-season tour due to injury but at that stage the problem was not thought to be serious with the player expected to be fit for the start of the season.
Kellyman turned out for the Chelsea under-21 side in Premier League 2 twice in August but has been out of action since due to the hamstring problem. He made a long-awaited return with the youth side against Norwich City last weekend, playing 35 minutes in a 3-1 victory.
Chelsea £19m man had been tipped for April first team return
GiveMeSport reporter Ben Jacobs had claimed that Kellyman was hoping to make the step up to the first team before the season now playing again. In a post on social media platform X, Jacobs wrote: “Omari Kellyman on for his first Chelsea minutes in the Under-21s 2-1 win over Ipswich.
“Kellyman hopeful of first-team opportunities before the season is out. Likely to stay with Under-21s in March and then join up with first-team at some point between now and the end of season, potentially as early as April.”
However, that won’t be the case as Kellyman shared an update on his fitness on Tuesday afternoon in an emotional Instagram post. He said: “Beyond gutted to say that this season has come to an early end for me due to a reinjury of my hamstring, despite only just returning after having hamstring issues for a massive part of this season.
Kellyman determined to return ‘stronger’
“24/25 has been a tough season for me mentally and physically due to injury but it’s important now that I take time to get this right and come out the other side stronger and better ready for what next season brings.”
Kellyman signed a lengthy six-year contract with the club when arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer but will have to wait until next season to make his first team debut. The attacking midfielder started his career at Derby County and spent 10 years with the club before joining the Villains in 2022.
He made six first team appearances for Aston Villa, two in the Premier League, two in Europa Conference League, one in the Carabao Cup and one in the Conference League qualifiers. His top flight cameos came in heavy defeats during the 2023/24 campaign - a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City and a 5-0 loss to Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.
On signing for Chelsea, the player said: “It is fantastic to be standing here as a Chelsea player. It’s a massive club with an amazing history, so it is great to join. It is a dream come true for sure. I’m buzzing to have put on the shirt and can’t wait to get started.”
In other news, this is how Chelsea’s final nine Premier League games compare to Newcastle United, Aston Villa and rivals.