Rotherham United manager, Matt Hamshaw, has confirmed that one midfielder is ready to return to first-team action.
This season has likely not gone as planned for the Millers, as they sit some way off the play-offs and a potential return to the Championship.
Their failures this season led to Steve Evans losing his job, with Hamshaw taking over. Hamshaw did join initially on an interim basis before being given the job full-time after impressing.
He’s likely already preparing for next season but has two more League One games this season to prepare for.
Ahead of their final games, Hamshaw confirmed one midfielder should be in contention to play.
Hamshaw on Liam Kelly’s return
Speaking after their 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic on Easter Monday, Hamshaw told the Rotherham Advertiser that Liam Kelly should be available for their next game:
“Kells should be back on Sunday. He could, potentially, have been on the bench today, but it wasn’t worth risking him.
“We did that at Stockport County (3-1 defeat on April 12), and it backfired a little bit.”
Kelly has struggled with illness but was used in their game against Stockport City. Sadly, for the Millers, his return came too soon, and his illness returned, and he missed their Easter doubleheader.
In total, Kelly’s missed three games for the Millers over April and although there’s not much to play for, he will likely be keen to impress new manager Hamshaw.
How has he played this season?
The 35-year-old Scot has featured 16 times in League One for Rotherham United this season. He’s started 13 of those games and averaged 73 minutes per game.
Across his appearances for the Millers in the league, he has two goal contributions (one goal and one assist) and received an average Sofascore rating of 6.96.
Defensively, Kelly’s been important in breaking up attacks. He’s claimed 0.4 interceptions per game, 2.1 tackles per game, 1.3 clearances per game, and 3.3 balls recovered per game.
When he has recovered the ball, he’s been good at moving the Millers up the field. He’s created three big chances and averaged 0.6 key passes per game.
What does his return mean for Rotherham United?
The Millers don’t have anything other than personal pride to play for in their final two games. They’re currently 13th, three points off local rivals Barnsley. Finishing above their neighbours could be seen as a small win at the end of a difficult season – but it’s a very small win at that.
For Kelly, it allows him to show Hamshaw what he’s got. The new Rotherham boss will likely be mulling over his options for next season’s squad and Kelly will likely be keen to show he should be part of his plans.
The 35-year-old can be a calming presence in the midfield given his wealth of experience in the Football League. This might be something Hamshaw is looking for next season, although it’s too early to know for sure.