Pep Guardiola Calls for Carabao Cup Rule Change to Allow Marc Guehi to Play in Final

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for the EFL to change its rules to allow Marc Guehi to play in this season’s Carabao Cup final.

City will face Arsenal at Wembley on March 22, after Guardiola’s team thrashed Newcastle United 5-1 on aggregate in their two-legged semi-final.

That victory over the Magpies was achieved without star centre-back Guehi, who joined City from Crystal Palace on January 19 for a transfer fee of £20 million.

Why is Marc Guehi not allowed to play in the Carabao Cup final?

Guehi was ineligible to feature in either leg of Manchester City’s semi-final victory over Newcastle and is also currently unable to play in the final against Arsenal.

Competition rules state that a player must be registered before either the closure of the winter transfer window or the first leg of the semi-final — whichever comes first — in order to be eligible for the final.

City completed the signing of the England international after their 2-0 first-leg win over Newcastle, meaning he missed the registration deadline despite arriving well before the March showpiece at Wembley.

The situation has frustrated Guardiola, who believes the rule is outdated and illogical given that Guehi is now a fully registered City player and available for Premier League and European matches.

What Pep Guardiola said about the Carabao Cup rule

Guardiola admitted he does not expect the rule to be changed in time for the final, but has urged City to at least make a formal request to the EFL.

“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play the final,” Guardiola said.

“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.”

City were able to use fellow January signing Antoine Semenyo in the semi-finals because he arrived before the first leg against Newcastle, highlighting the narrow timing that has ruled Guehi out.

“Antoine arrived before the first [game] so could play. And now it’s the final. Why should he [Guehi] not play? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player,” Guardiola added.

“I said to the club, they have to ask, definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final in March, when I have been here for a long time.

“The rules to buy a player depends on FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League, who say, ‘OK the transfer window is open’. When you buy a player you have to play, no? It’s logic. Of course we are going to try to ask [for] him to play. Pure logic.”

Asked whether he expected the EFL to grant an exception, Guardiola was realistic about City’s chances. He replied: “No. But we will try.”

City have already benefited from a rule adjustment this season allowing players to represent two clubs in the same Carabao Cup campaign without being cup-tied.

That change enabled Semenyo and Max Alleyne to feature in the semi-finals despite having previously played in earlier rounds of the competition for Bournemouth and Watford respectively.

Guardiola is not expected to succeed in his campaign for another rule change, with the EFL unlikely to amend regulations mid-season.

However, the good news for City is that injured defenders John Stones and Ruben Dias should both be fit in time for the final, although Josko Gvardiol is not expected to return to action until late April.

Guehi’s weekly wage at Man City is around £300,000. He is the club’s top-earning defender and was recently one of five City players named in the 2026’s highest-paid Premier League XI.