When can Chloe Kelly make her Arsenal debut?

Chloe Kelly has officially completed her loan move to Arsenal for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, but will have to bide her time before making her debut.

Kelly returns to north-London after nearly ten years, having grown up representing the Arsenal academy since age 12. The forward signed her first professional deal with the club in 2016, before departing the year after.

The 27-year-old took to social media following the announcement, telling fans: "Your roots always pull you back".

Despite Arsenal's ability to get the deal across the line just minutes before the close of the January transfer window, fans will be made to wait patiently for Kelly to pull on the red and white.

When is Kelly eligible to play?

Due to the terms of her loan contract, standard practise meant that Kelly was unable to play in Arsenal's Women's Super League (WSL) clash against Manchester City at the weekend.

Fans will have the chance to see Kelly pull on the Arsenal shirt on February 16 in the North London derby. The Gunners will host Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium as Kelly returns to N5 wearing red and wide for the first time in eight years.

The Gunners and the Cityzens will face off once more this week for the semi-final stages of the Subway Women's League Cup. Kelly however, due to the terms of her loan contract, is ineligible to play.

Although, if Arsenal are to progress through to the final of the League Cup, Kelly will be available for selection by head coach Renee Slegers.

The forward will also miss Arsenal's Adobe Women's FA Cup fifth-round tie against London City Lionesses, having previously been cup-tied by Man City in the side's fourth-round match against Ipswich Town.

Can Kelly play in the Women's Champions League?

Despite cup-tie regulations deeming her ineligible for England's domestic competitions, UEFA rules permit Kelly to play in the quarter-final stages of the Women's Champions League.

All clubs are able to register three additional players before the quarter-finals take place, meaning both Kelly and latest-signing Jenna Nighwonger can represent the club on the European stage.

However, Kelly may be forced to bide her time before making a Champions League debut in red and white if the side are to draw City in the quarter-final stages. The Gunners will come up against either Real Madrid, VfL Wolfsburg or Man City for a spot in the semi-finals of the European competition.

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