The EFL have made a decision on Manchester City’s request to allow Marc Guehi to play in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal after Pep Guardiola’s complaints
The Football League have knocked back Manchester City’s appeal to have Marc Guehi available for the Carabao Cup final.
Pep Guardiola is fuming that new recruit Guehi remains banned from the showpiece encounter against Arsenal on March 22. EFL regulations were altered this season, allowing players to feature for two different clubs in the competition during a single campaign – which enabled Antoine Semenyo to start both legs of City’s semi-final triumph over Newcastle United.
However, since Guehi completed his potential £30m switch to the Etihad after the first leg, he was barred from the second leg and the upcoming final next month. Guardiola is far from pleased, and confirmed City officials would approach the EFL in an attempt to get the ruling reversed.
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Yet City’s appeals have been dismissed, with the League maintaining there will be no alteration to the regulation to benefit Guehi, reports the Mirror.
The development represents a significant setback for Guardiola in his pursuit of the season’s first domestic silverware and a massive advantage for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Guardiola has been missing defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol through injury. With Guehi now forced to miss the season’s opening final, he will be praying to have some of them fit for the clash with Arteta’s side.
After demolishing Newcastle 5-1 on aggregate to secure their place at Wembley, Guardiola declared it was ‘pure logic’ that Guehi should be permitted to be registered.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final,” the City manager said. “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 for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.
“Antoine arrived before the first [game] so could play. And now it’s the final. Why should he [Guehi] not play? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player. I said to the club, they have to ask, definitely.
“I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final in March, when I have been here for a long time. The rules to buy a player depends on FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League who say, ‘okay, the transfer window is open, when you buy a player you have to play’, no?
“It’s logic. Of course we are going to try to ask [for] him to play. Pure logic.”