Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has launched a fierce critique of Carabao Cup regulations, demanding a rule change to allow his new defender Marc Guéhi to play in the final against Arsenal after the £70m signing was ruled ineligible.
Guéhi joined City from Crystal Palace after their 2-0 semi-final first-leg win over Newcastle. According to EFL rules reported by the BBC, players must be registered before the winter transfer window closes or before the first leg of the semi-final—whichever is sooner—to be eligible for the competition.
This technicality means the England centre-back missed both legs of City’s 5-1 aggregate victory and is now barred from the Wembley final on March 22.
Speaking after Wednesday's second-leg win, Guardiola questioned the rule's logic. “Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play. You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play because of a rule I don’t understand,” Guardiola said.
He contrasted Guéhi's case with that of January signing Antoine Semenyo, who arrived from Bournemouth four days before the first leg, was eligible, and even scored. “Antoine arrived before the first game so he could play. Now it’s the final. Why should Marc not play? We pay his salary, he is our player,” Guardiola argued.
The City boss also pointed out that the EFL had already amended rules this season to remove traditional cup-tying restrictions, allowing players like Semenyo to feature despite playing for other clubs earlier in the tournament.
When asked if he expected the EFL to grant City's request, Guardiola was pessimistic but determined: “No. But we will try.”
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