Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit out at English Football League (EFL) regulations after new signing Marc Guéhi was ruled ineligible for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.
Guéhi will miss the Wembley showdown scheduled for March 22 after completing his move from Crystal Palace following City’s 2-0 semi-final first-leg win over Newcastle.
Under current Carabao Cup rules, players must be registered before the winter transfer window closes or before the semi-final first leg — whichever comes first — to be eligible for the competition.
The rule means the England defender missed both legs of City’s 5-1 aggregate semi-final victory over Newcastle and will also sit out the final.
Speaking after Wednesday’s second-leg win, Guardiola openly questioned the regulation and revealed the club plans to push for a review of Guéhi’s status.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final.
“I don’t understand why he cannot play the final. 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.
City’s other January signing, Antoine Semenyo, was cleared to play in the semi-final after joining from Bournemouth four days before the first leg and even scored in the game.
“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,” he added.
Guardiola also noted that City already benefited from a rule adjustment this season which scrapped traditional cup-tying restrictions, allowing players to represent multiple clubs in the same competition.
That change allowed Semenyo and defender Max Alleyne to play in the semi-finals despite featuring earlier in the tournament for Bournemouth and Watford respectively.
When asked if he expects the EFL to approve City’s request, Guardiola admitted he is not optimistic but said the club will still try.
“No,” he said. “But we will try.”
