Sky report EFL’s brutal response to Pep Guardiola’s Man City plea
The EFL have confirmed that Marc Guehi will be unavailable for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal next month.
Man City beat Newcastle United 3-1 on Wednesday to confirm their progression to the final at Wembley Stadium next month.
But the Citizens look set to be without their winter signing, who was brought in to cover for defensive injuries.
Josko Gvardiol suffered a fractured tibia in a game against Chelsea in January, and is expected to miss much of the rest of the season.
Man City signed Guehi from Crystal Palace in a £20million deal earlier this month, and the England international has started superbly well.
EFL rule out Marc Guehi for Carabao Cup final
Guehi is set to miss the Carabao Cup final due to an EFL rule change that was brought in for this season.
The rule states that players must be registered before the first leg of the semi-final if they are to appear in the rest of the competition.
As Man City completed their deal with Palace after beating Newcastle in the first leg, the England international was unavailable for Wednesday’s game, and he will be for next month’s final.
| Marc Guehi | Premier League 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 22 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Tackles | 31 |
| Recoveries | 96 |
| Duels won | 115 |
Pep Guardiola spoke after his team’s place in the final had been confirmed, and said that he did not understand why Guehi was not able to play.
“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play in this competition [in] the final,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.
But the Spaniard has been given a very quick and very blunt answer, at which he is unlikely to be happy.
Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the EFL have confirmed in no uncertain terms that Guehi will not be eligible for the Carabao Cup final, and that they will not change their rules.
How will Man City set up in cup final?
Thankfully for Man City and Guardiola, Ruben Dias returned from injury to feature on the bench against Newcastle on Wednesday.
The Portugal international has been missing for around a month, and his return will be handled very carefully.
Should him or Nathan Ake pick up injuries in the coming weeks, Man City could find themselves in serious trouble.
Dias is likely to start alongside Abdukodir Khusanov in the final, with the Uzbekistan international in impressive form.