Manchester City will request permission from the EFL to include Marc Guehi in March’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. Their January signing missed the semi-final second leg triumph over Newcastle, having not completed his transfer in time for the first leg.
City’s other January acquisition, Antoine Semenyo, had joined before that match in the north east and both played and scored in the 2-0 victory. City took advantage of a rule change this season that permitted players to represent two teams in the same competition, meaning Antoine Semenyo and Max Alleyne were able to feature in the semi-final despite appearing for Bournemouth and Watford respectively in earlier rounds.
They were also able to include Sverre Nypan in their squad for the second leg, as he had not participated in the competition whilst on loan at Middlesbrough.
However, Guehi is ineligible to play at Wembley against Arsenal due to a rule stipulating that players must be available for their second club before the first leg of the semi-final. This means Guehi will once again have to watch from the sidelines despite Semenyo and Alleyne being eligible for selection.
City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed that he’s urged the club to approach the authorities seeking a rule amendment that would permit Guehi to participate at Wembley. The Spaniard is baffled that a player acquired in January won’t be eligible to represent City in late March when the Carabao Cup final takes place at Wembley.
Guardiola told Sky Sports: “Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the player’s fit and hopefully you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it’s difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don’t understand why he cannot play the final.
“So hopefully we write a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He’s not able to play for a rule that I don’t understand why. Hopefully, they can change it.”
The City boss elaborated further during his post-match press conference.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup (EFL) that Marc can play the final,” he continued. “I don’t understand why he cannot play the final. Hopefully we make a letter. 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. You hire a player and he can be disposed the next day. Hopefully we can convince the biggest teams. It is difficult to understand.
“Apparently Marc cannot play the second leg because he didn’t play the first. And Antoine arrived before the first 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. It’s like the Champions League, the last two games cannot play.
“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.”