Chelsea reject Cardiff request ahead of cup clash as £19m star is excluded from squad

Burnley v Cardiff City - Carabao Cup Third Round

Chelsea have blocked Omari Kellyman from playing for loan club Cardiff City against them in their Carabao Cup quarter-final showdown in South Wales. The Bluebirds made a "tentative verbal request" to Chelsea, hoping to have the influential forward available for the match, but the Premier League side declined to provide the necessary written consent.

Chelsea firm in face of Cardiff request

Kellyman joined Cardiff on a season-long loan from Chelsea in September to gain first-team experience after recovering from a serious hamstring injury, and will be forced to watch the match from the stands. While FA and Premier League rules explicitly prohibit loanees from facing their parent clubs, the EFL Cup regulations allow for this possibility if special dispensation is given. The decision is a common practice in the EFL, despite rules allowing a parent club to grant written permission.  

Kellyman has been a key player for the League One leaders this season, making 17 appearances and scoring two goals. He expressed his desire to play against his parent club, calling it a "great opportunity to play against some world class players," but has had to accept the decision. Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy will have to navigate the cup tie without the 20-year-old forward as his team, the lowest-ranked left in the competition, look to upset the Blues. 

Northampton Town v Cardiff City - Sky Bet League One

Kellyman: 'Great to see exciting players'

When Kellyman signed for Cardiff in September, he said: "I'm happy to be here. I can’t wait to get started. I like to make things happen. I like to be forward thinking and get on the ball as much as possible. I want to come here, get some goals and assists and help the team. I've been watching the recent games and it's been great to see the exciting players we already have. I'm looking forward to playing with the lads."

The Blues have previous

Chelsea have exercised this right in the past, allowing Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori to play for Derby County against them in 2018, but they also denied a similar request for Conor Gallagher when he was at Crystal Palace in 2022. 

FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-EVERTON

Battle for semi-final spot

The draw for the Carabao Cup semi-finals will be following the conclusion of the Quarter-Final match between Newcastle United and Fulham on Wednesday. The draw, live on Sky Sports, will be held at approximately 10:35 pm,with pundits Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given. The official ball numbers will be confirmed and published on Wednesday morning. 

Due to the rearranged fixture schedule, the winner of the Arsenal versus Crystal Palace tie, which takes place a week later than the other quarter-finals fixtures, will share a single ball number in the draw. The semis are scheduled for the week commencing January 12th, with the second leg fixtures following in the week commencing February 2nd.