By Milcah Tanimu
Following Barnsley’s 1-0 victory over Sheffield United in the Carabao Cup’s second round on Tuesday night, manager Darrell Clarke provided insight into why new signing Kelechi Nwakali did not make his debut.
Barnsley announced the signing of Nwakali, the Nigerian international and 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball winner, on August 12. However, the transfer was contingent upon visa and international clearance, which delayed his availability.
Since the announcement, Nwakali has missed five consecutive Barnsley matches. He only resumed training with the team last week after receiving his visa from British authorities. Given that he missed pre-season preparations, Nwakali is still working to regain match fitness.
Clarke noted that while it was encouraging to have Nwakali on the bench, he was not yet ready to play. “He’s building his training minutes up. He’s a little bit away but nice for the nine substitutes tonight. Managed to get him on the bench but unfortunately not on the pitch,” Clarke explained.
Nwakali’s absence from the pitch was not unexpected, as he is still catching up on fitness levels. His last involvement in English football was five years ago with Arsenal, and he has since had loan spells with MVV Maastricht, VVV Venlo, and Porto before being released in the summer of 2019.
Clarke added, “The lads have been working in the background, running hard, the substitutions, so we will get players up to speed as quick as we can so we get more options.”
Nwakali’s debut for Barnsley is anticipated once he has fully integrated into the team and achieved the necessary match fitness.
