Pep Guardiola has questioned the rule which means Marc Guéhi cannot play in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal in March, though the Manchester City manager has said the club will ask the Football League to reconsider.
City reached the Wembley showpiece after Wednesday’s 3-1 semi-final second-leg win against Newcastle, which gave them a 5-1 aggregate victory after the 2-0 result in the first leg on 13 January.
Guéhi was not eligible as he had already played for Crystal Palace earlier in the competition and joined City on 19 January for £20m. The EFL Cup rule 6.4.2 states that a player can represent two clubs in the trophy if he joins the second club before the semi-final first leg. Antoine Semenyo was eligible for the semi‑final as he joined from Bournemouth on 9 January.
Guardiola said: “I told the club we must ask – hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. 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.”
Yet asked if he was hopeful, Guardiola said: “No. To change the rule? No way.”
Of having the chance to win a fifth League Cup, Guardiola said: “Many of us, including me, we are really happy to come back to the final – and for many players that have never been in the final, the Carabao Cup, or a final with this club, it’s a good thing to experience that.”
City’s goals came via two from Omar Marmoush and one from Tijjani Reijnders, all in the first half, Newcastle’s consolation scored by Anthony Elanga after the break.
This left Eddie Howe disappointed as his side’s Carabao Cup defence ended. “It is painful, we loved the ride we had last year – it was an incredible experience and we were desperate to have it again,” the Newcastle manager said.
Anthony Gordon was forced off before the break. “It looks a hamstring problem – a big worry,” Howe said.
Bernardo Silva is a doubt for City’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday due to a muscle injury.
