L-R: Manchester City players Semenyo, Guehi and head coach Guardiola
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has expressed frustration over the Carabao Cup rules concerning the eligibility of players signed during the January transfer window.
The Citizens defeated Newcastle United 5-0 on aggregate to book their place in the final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026.
Ahead of the final, Guardiola vented his anger over his inability to use Marc Guehi against Newcastle United on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
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He argued that the rule is unfair and does not provide equal opportunities for players.
“Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the players fit, and hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final. It’s difficult to understand why a club makes a big investment to sign a player who belongs to us, yet he cannot play in the final.”
“So, hopefully we write a letter, and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He’s not able to play because of a rule that I don’t understand. Hopefully, they can change it,” he said.
Meanwhile, under the Carabao Cup rules implemented for the first time this season, any player signed after the first leg of the semi-final is ineligible to play in the remainder of the competition.
In this case, Ghanaian winger Antoine Semenyo, who joined the club in January 2026 from Bournemouth, was fortunate to feature in the semi-final first leg against Newcastle and even scored. As a result, he is eligible to play in the final.
However, the same cannot be said for Marc Guehi, who joined later in the transfer window and did not feature in the semi-final.
Despite Guardiola’s complaints, reports indicate that Carabao Cup officials will not bend the rules to allow Guehi to play against Arsenal.
SB/JE
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