The Football League have turned down Manchester City‘s appeal to make Marc Guehi eligible for the Carabao Cup final. Pep Guardiola is furious that his new recruit Guehi cannot feature in the showpiece encounter against Arsenal on March 22. EFL regulations were amended this season to allow players to represent two different clubs in the competition during a single campaign, which enabled Antoine Semenyo to feature in both legs of City’s semi-final tie with Newcastle United.
However, as Guehi completed his potential £30million switch to the Etihad after the first leg, he was prohibited from playing in 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 have the decision reversed. However, City’s appeals have been unsuccessful, with the League maintaining there will be no alteration to the regulation to accommodate Guehi.
The development represents a significant setback for Guardiola in his pursuit of the first domestic silverware of the campaign and a considerable advantage to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Guardiola has been managing without defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol through injury. And with Guehi now forced to miss the first final of the season, he will be hoping to have some of them available for the clash with Arteta’s side.
Following City’s commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Newcastle to secure their place at Wembley, Guardiola argued it was ‘pure logic’ that Guehi should be eligible for registration. “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.Do you agree with the EFL? Have your say in the comments section.”
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.”