Georgie Kelly’s return looking key in Carlisle’s survival fight

Carlisle United manager Mark Hughes believes Donegal man Georgie Kelly can play a crucial role in the club’s battle for survival, as the striker continues his return from injury.

The Tooban-born player made his comeback as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat to Harrogate Town, having spent nearly three months sidelined with a calf issue.

While Hughes is cautious about overloading the 28-year-old too soon, he is confident Kelly’s physicality will be a key asset in the final stretch of the season.

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“You saw his presence and what he can give us, so if we can keep him fresh, keep him able, keep him fit, then towards the end of the season he can be significant,” Hughes said.

“I thought he showed a lot of physical presence, which at times we lacked.

“I thought he did really well. The reality is that's all we can give him at the moment because we don't want to compromise him.

“So, for him to come on and give us what he did, I thought that presence was something that we've lacked."

Kelly, who joined Carlisle from Rotherham United in January 2024 on a three-and-a-half-year deal, has endured a frustrating start to life at Brunton Park due to injury setbacks.

His arrival was seen as a major boost for the struggling side, given his track record in front of goal. During his time at Rotherham, he scored six goals in 51 games, including a historic promotion-sealing goal in 2021 against Gillingham.

Former manager Paul Simpson, who was instrumental in bringing Kelly to the club, spoke highly of his potential at the time of his signing.

"He's a player we've liked for the last 12 months," Simpson said. "He's struggled to get game time at Rotherham and the opportunity came up to sign him on a permanent deal.

"I'm absolutely delighted we've been able to get him in. He's a player who is for now but also for the long term."

With Carlisle currently six points adrift of safety, Hughes is keen to maximise Kelly’s involvement while ensuring he regains full fitness. The Blues boss is considering staging an in-house training match to help the striker and other returning players build match sharpness.

“We'll look at that because we're mindful of lads looking a bit leggy on occasions,” Hughes said. “Some of the guys need match time and that (an in-house game) helped us last time out.

“We've got Callum Guy up to speed, and Archie Davies, as a consequence of playing the previous bounce game.

“We may well be able to do that this time and give Georgie a little bit of game time and see if we can push him forward.”

Carlisle face three crucial home games in a row, starting with AFC Wimbledon, as they bid to climb out of the relegation zone. Hughes is focused on using the week ahead to fine-tune his squad and prepare them for the challenges to come.

“Sometimes when there's midweek games, it's difficult to address things that have arisen during the week or during the games that you've played,” he added.

“So we've got that week's grace leading into the next game [this time], and we'll make the best use of it.”