Manchester City are set to make an official approach to the English Football League (EFL) in an attempt to modify the current Carabao Cup regulations. The club's objective is to secure permission for their recent £20 million acquisition, central defender Marc Guehi, to participate in the upcoming final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on March 22nd.
Guardiola's Frustration Over Guehi's Ineligibility
Manager Pep Guardiola has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the existing rules that prevent Guehi from featuring in the showpiece event. The City boss confirmed that he has already urged the club's senior management to formally represent their case, arguing that the England international should be permitted to play.
'Marc can hopefully play the final,' Guardiola stated. 'You pay a lot of money and I can't understand why you can't play him in the final. Hopefully we can convince them, sometimes it's difficult to understand. Apparently Marc couldn't play the second leg because he didn't play the first. Now it's the final so why should he not play? Why not? We pay his salary, we hire him as our player. It's logic.'
Rule Change Precedent and Timing Issue
This season saw a significant alteration to the competition's rules, allowing players to represent two different clubs within a single campaign. This change enabled Antoine Semenyo to start both legs of the semi-final against Newcastle United.
However, a crucial timing discrepancy has created Guehi's predicament. Semenyo arrived at his new club before the first leg at St James' Park, whereas Guehi's transfer was completed after City's 2-0 victory in that match. This later signing triggered a time restriction, ruling him out of the home leg and consequently any potential final appearance.
Guardiola elaborated on City's planned course of action: 'We'll make a letter, and hopefully they understand he's not able to play for a rule that I don't understand, hopefully they can change it and he can play.' When questioned about the likelihood of the rules being overturned, the Catalan manager responded pragmatically: 'No. To change the rule in this country? No way. We will try.'
Additional Team News and Howe's Concerns
In other squad developments, Guardiola revealed that captain Bernardo Silva is 'an incredible doubt' for Sunday's crucial Premier League trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is confronting his own selection headache, fearing a significant injury lay-off for winger Anthony Gordon. The player was forced off during a match with a hamstring issue.
'It's a big worry,' Howe admitted following his side's sixth consecutive domestic game without a victory. 'There is no let up for us. We have to get back to winning ways. I'm really annoyed with the first half display, we pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically. We want to be able to handle any problem. That first half we weren't good enough individually. We are still fighting on various fronts.'
