Manchester City Manager Appeals to English Football League for a Change in Rules
Pep Guardiola has been coaching Manchester City since 2016. Since the signing of new defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, Guardiola wants a change to happen in the English Football League’s rules. Manchester City reached the final of the Carabao Cup, where they will play Arsenal on March 22nd, 2026. Arsenal is coached by a former assistant of Guardiola’s, Mikel Arteta, who was with the club from mid-2016 to late-2019. Arsenal may sit first in the Premier League standings, but Manchester City is right behind them. A fierce rivalry has built up between the two teams as a result of each Spaniard’s familiarity with the other.
For Manchester City, newly signed Marc Guéhi will not be allowed to play in the upcoming Carabao Cup Final on March 22nd, 2026. The rules from the EFL state that Guéhi would have had to join Manchester City before the first leg of the semi-final. Guéhi was purchased on January 19th, 2026, from Crystal Palace. Manchester City completed and won the first leg of their semi-final against Newcastle 2-0 on January 13th. The match started six full days before the club signed Guéhi. Therefore, Guéhi cannot compete for his new club in the Carabao Cup final. Another new signing for Manchester City is Antoine Semenyo. He was able to play for the new club despite already competing in the same tournament for Bournemouth because his transfer was completed before January 13th.
Pep Guardiola was ready to write a formal letter to the EFL about the rule change in order to allow Guéhi to play in the final. Even if Guardiola were to send them a letter, the manager is not optimistic that they would change the rule or even amend it further. The EFL already modified players being traded and being allowed to play for other teams in the Carabao Cup. This rule change happened before the 2025-2026 season started. The amendment stated that players who played for one club may play for another if they are traded in the January transfer window, as long as they signed before the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The change allowed Semenyo to play for Manchester City despite already playing for Bournemouth in the same competition. Guéhi will not be allowed to play for Manchester City in the final, and he will not be awarded a medal if Manchester City wins the final. "I said to the club, they have to ask, definitely…” Guardiola said in an interview with ESPN. "Why should he not play? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player."
Guardiola currently has an injury problem with his defenders, hence the need for Guéhi’s presence in the back line. Defender Nathan Aké is having his minutes managed by the club due to his fitness not being 100%. Rúben Dias is another defender having injury issues, but his hamstring problem seems to be resolved enough to be on the bench. Manchester City recalled 20-year-old Max Allenye from his loan at Watford in order to help fill in the gaps for City’s defense.
