Guardiola Angered by Rule That Bars Guehi From Cup Final
Manchester City will face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on March 22, but they will be without one of their new defenders. Manager Pep Guardiola has criticised the rule that prevents Marc Guehi from playing in the final.
City booked their place in the final after winning their semi-final tie convincingly. Despite the success, Guehi is not eligible to feature because of competition rules.
Guardiola said he does not understand why the defender cannot play and described the rule as unfair. He said the club paid for the player and should be able to use him.
The rule states that a player must be registered before a certain stage of the competition to be eligible for the final. Guehi joined the club after that deadline.
Guehi had already featured in the tournament earlier in the season for his former club before moving to City. That earlier appearance now stops him from playing for his new team in the final.
Guardiola said the club will contact the organisers to request an exception, even though he admits the chances of a change are small.
Another January signing for City is eligible to play because he joined earlier and met the registration requirement.
The situation has sparked debate among fans and football observers about whether the rule is fair to clubs that sign players during the season.
Guardiola, however, said the team remains focused on preparing well for the final despite the setback.
City will now continue their preparations as they aim to win the trophy without one of their key new signings.