Manchester City defender Marc Guehi won’t be allowed to play for his new club in the Carabao Cup final – and Pep Guardiola is not happy about it.
Marc Guehi’s January move to Manchester City was supposed to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad for the business end of the season.
Instead, it has sparked a controversial debate over one of the EFL Cup’s lesser-known rules.
City thumped Newcastle 5-1 on aggregate to reach next month’s final against Arsenal at Wembley.
But as it stands, they will play the final without £20 million new signing Guehi.
The England international missed the semi-final, and is also barred from featuring in the final.
A frustrated Pep Guardiola has called for Carabao cup rule changes as a result.
City have won the competition four times under Pep. But this year has seen attention diverted away from their on-field success.
The controversy has sparked widespread debate, with fans and pundits torn on the matter.
But why is Marc Guehi banned from playing for Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final?
Why Marc Guehi Can’t Play In Carabao Cup Final
The key to this issue is a recent change to the Carabao Cup regulations for this season.
Previously, players would be “cup-tied” if they had played for another club in the competetion.
This season, however, that rule was relaxed to reflect the modern January transfer window.
As a result, players can now represent two clubs in the competition in one season.
But crucially, the EFL added a caveat. To be eligible, a player must have signed for their new club before the closure of the winter transfer window or before the first leg of the semi-final – whichever comes sooner.
Guehi’s arrival at Manchester City came on 19 January, a week after City’s 2-0 first-leg victory at St. James’ Park.
We’ll meet Arsenal at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final pic.twitter.com/221J7fkfNl
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 4, 2026
Because that semi-final leg had already been played, Guehi automatically became ineligible for the remainder of the competition.
That is despite the transfer window still being open at the time, and Guehi having represented Crystal Palace earlier in the tournament.
As a result of his prior involvement with Palace, Guehi has become the only cup-tied player in this season’s competition.
Contrastingly, fellow Manchester City signing Antoine Semenyo has been allowed to play.
That’s because his arrival from Bournemouth came four days before the semi-final first leg.
Semenyo is therefore eligible for City despite already playing for Bournemouth earlier in the competition.
For Pep Guardiola, the cut-off date feels arbitrary and pointless.
Had Guehi signed a week earlier, or arrived from a European club, or simply not featured for Palace, he would be available for the final.
Instead, he will watch from the stands as City attempt to add another trophy to their collection.
Pep Guardiola Pushes For Carabao Cup Rules Change
The Manchester City boss has made no attempt to hide his frustration.
Speaking after City secured their place at Wembley, he questioned the logic of stopping Guehi from playing in the final.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final,” Guardiola said.
“I don’t understand why he cannot play the final. You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play for a rule I don’t understand.”
Guardiola referenced Semenyo’s situation in his arguement against the rule.
He added: “Antoine arrived before the first game so he could play. And now it’s the final. Why should he not play? We pay his salary, he is our player. It’s pure logic.”
“When you sign a player they have to play” ️
Pep Guardiola reacts to Marc Guehi being unable to play in the Carabao cup final pic.twitter.com/cxaz1m5EhZ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 5, 2026
The Spaniard confirmed he had urged City to write to the EFL over the matter, but admitted he did not expect them to change their stance.
“Do I expect them to change? No,” he continued.
“But we will try.”
The general consensus has been mixed among pundits.
Former City goalkeeper Shay Given told Sky Sports that situation was “farcical” and suggested it was “one rule for Semenyo and one rule for Guehi.
But fellow ex-City man Micah Richards argued that “rules are rules”, but accepted he “understands Pep’s frustrations.
The EFL are extremely unlikely to grant City an exception to the rule mid-season, meaning Guehi will likely miss out.
The final between City and Arsenal will kick off at 16:30 on Sunday, 22 March at Wembley.
