The English Premier League has moved to end the debate surrounding Marc Guehi’s eligibility for the Carabao Cup final, firmly rejecting Pep Guardiola’s request for a rule change that would allow the defender to feature for Manchester City against Arsenal.
City booked their place in the final after completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory over Newcastle, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on March 22.
However, the celebrations were quickly followed by controversy after Guardiola questioned regulations that prevent Guehi from taking part in the final.
The 25-year-old centre-back, who joined Manchester City from Crystal Palace, was signed after City had already secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the semi-final against Newcastle.
Under existing competition rules, players must be registered before the first leg of the semi-final to be eligible for the final, rendering Guehi unavailable for both legs against Newcastle and the upcoming clash with Arsenal.
Guardiola openly challenged the rule in comments to the BBC.
“We hope we can convince the Carabao Cup association that Marc (Guehli) is eligible to play in the final. I don’t understand why he can’t. You buy a player for a lot of money, and then he can’t play because of a rule I don’t understand. I hope they can change it,” the City boss said.
The City manager went on to highlight what he saw as an inconsistency.
“Antoine (Semenyo) arrived before the first game against Newcastle, so he could have played. And now we are in the final. Why isn’t Guehi playing? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player,” he lamented.
Despite the public appeal, Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the English Football League has no intention of altering its regulations. The governing body confirmed that the rule will remain in place, meaning Guehi will not be permitted to represent Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
The report also noted that this particular regulation is being enforced for the first time this season, bringing Guardiola’s hopes of a late reprieve to a definitive end ahead of the Wembley final.
