£19m Chelsea loan star hauled off after just 35 MINUTES on debut for loan club

Young Chelseastar Omari Kellyman was taken off just 35 minutes into his debut for loan club Cardiff City on Tuesday night. Kellyman was selected in the starting XI for the Vertu Trophy clash at Exeter City as he tries to kickstart his career after injury struggles.

Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy revealed the decision to substitute Kellyman so early was deliberately planned beforehand, as bosses were determined to eliminate any "risk" of pushing him too hard on his Bluebirds debut.

Cardiff fans had been excited about the 19-year-old's first appearance, but eyebrows were raised when he was withdrawn and replaced by academy midfielder Troy Perrett shortly after the half-hour mark.

The playmaker endured a torrid debut campaign at Chelsea last term following his £19m switch from Aston Villa. Kellyman was plagued by two serious hamstring problems, with the latter requiring surgery in March - leaving him without a competitive appearance since then.

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That changed when he was selected in the starting lineup for Tuesday night's Vertu Trophy curtain-raiser, reports Wales Online. He demonstrated glimpses of tidy ball control and footwork, giving him a solid foundation to develop from.

Luckily for Barry-Murphy, the strategy of withdrawing him early proved successful, with Perrett alongside fellow youngsters Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and Dakarai Mafico making strong impressions during their senior duties.

"I want them to be really clear that these players, when they come into the dressing room, what it looks like and what's expected of them," Barry-Murphy said of the youngsters in the win over League One rivals Exeter.

"And I want the other members of the squad to show them that. Those players have responded really positively.

"Also Troy, coming on at such an early stage of the game, to make sure we didn't take any risks with Omari, was also very involved in the game.

"I think it's always important to remind ourselves that a competition like this can be overlooked, but it can give someone like Troy a first taste for playing for our club. To play in front of so many supporters at such an early stage in his career is exciting for him."

Perrett emerged as one of the stars in the triumph, featuring for more than an hour as recognition for his brilliant displays under Darren Purse's under-21s setup.

The 18 year old midfielder has been with City since the age of seven, and speculation emerged several months ago linking him with a switch to Aston Villa.

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