Pep Guardiola expressed frustration with the Carabao Cup rule that prevents Marc Guehi, the team's new defender, from playing in the final against Arsenal. He also confirmed plans to submit a request for a waiver to the EFL.
On 5 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, openly criticized the Carabao Cup rule that bars Marc Guehi, the club's new England international defender, from participating in the final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on 22 Mar 2026 GMT+7.
The 25-year-old center-back transferred to the "Sky Blues" for about £20 million but was unable to play in the second leg of the semifinals or the final, due to a rule requiring players to have appeared from the first leg of the semifinals to be eligible for subsequent matches.
This situation differs from Antoine Semenyo, who was allowed to play for two clubs in the same competition this season after a rule change that allowed more flexibility. However, Guehi's transfer occurred after Manchester City's 2-0 win in the first leg, automatically disqualifying him.
Pep Guardiola revealed he has asked the club management to formally request that the EFL reconsider and amend this rule. He stated frankly,
“I hope Marc will be able to play in the final. You pay a lot to buy a player but then cannot use him. I don’t understand the reason for this rule at all.”
“They say he can’t play the second leg because he didn’t play the first leg, but now it’s the final. Why can’t he play? We pay his wages. We hired him as our player. It should be normal.”
“Hopefully, we can convince them. Sometimes these rules are really hard to understand.”
Reports state Manchester City is preparing to officially submit a letter to the English Football League (EFL) requesting a special exemption so Guehi can play in the final, one of the most important matches of the season.
If the EFL insists on enforcing the existing rule, Manchester City will have to play the decisive match against Arsenal at Wembley without the defender on their squad list.