Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for the EFL to change its rules to allow Marc Guehi to play in this season’s Carabao Cup final.
City will face Arsenal at Wembley on March 22, after Guardiola’s team thrashed Newcastle United 5-1 on aggregate in their two-legged semi-final.
That victory over the Magpies was achieved without star centre-back Guehi, who joined City from Crystal Palace on January 19 for a transfer fee of £20 million.
Why is Marc Guehi not allowed to play in the Carabao Cup final?
Guehi was ineligible to feature in either leg of Manchester City’s semi-final victory over Newcastle and is also currently unable to play in the final against Arsenal.
Competition rules state that a player must be registered before either the closure of the winter transfer window or the first leg of the semi-final — whichever comes first — in order to be eligible for the final.
City completed the signing of the England international after their 2-0 first-leg win over Newcastle, meaning he missed the registration deadline despite arriving well before the March showpiece at Wembley.
The situation has frustrated Guardiola, who believes the rule is outdated and illogical given that Guehi is now a fully registered City player and available for Premier League and European matches.
Marc Guehi joined Manchester City from Crystal Palace on January 19, but he is not eligible to play in this season’s Carabao Cup final.
What Pep Guardiola said about the Carabao Cup rule
Guardiola admitted he does not expect the rule to be changed in time for the final, but has urged City to at least make a formal request to the EFL.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play the final,” Guardiola said.
“You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.”
City were able to use fellow January signing Antoine…
..
