Should Guehi Be Allowed To Play In The Carabao Cup Final ?

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·6 February 2026

Should Guehi Be Allowed To Play In The Carabao Cup Final ?

Pep Guardiola commands a great deal of respect, and there is little harm in asking questions when the worst possible outcome is a refusal. In this case, however, his request for Manchester City to ask the EFL to reconsider its rules and allow Marc Guehi to play in the Carabao Cup final appears puzzling. Guardiola himself expected the response to be negative, which raises legitimate questions about the purpose and timing of such an appeal.

Manchester City were fully aware of the regulations when they signed the defender. They knew there was a clear deadline before the first leg of the League Cup semi-final if Guehi was to be eligible for the competition. Like the FA, UEFA and FIFA, the EFL outlines its policies and any amendments at the start of each season. Clubs, managers and players may disagree with those rules, but they are still expected to understand and accept them.

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Timing and acceptance of the rules

If there were genuine concerns about the regulation, the appropriate moment to challenge it would have been before the campaign began. Waiting until a competition has one match remaining to request an exception feels ill-judged. There is an important distinction between disagreeing with a rule and refusing to accept it. Football regularly produces moments where supporters feel aggrieved, such as when VAR decisions hinge on marginal offside calls. In those situations, officials are applying the law as written, even if the law itself is unpopular.

The same principle applies here. Challenging rules only when the outcome is personally inconvenient undermines the integrity of the competition. Making an argument when a trophy is at stake weakens its credibility and places unnecessary pressure on governing bodies.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Implications for the final

Some may sympathise with the view that it is unreasonable for a club to pay a player significant wages and still be unable to select him for a major final. However, the reality is that these restrictions are known in advance and apply equally to all clubs. Arsenal would not accept a sudden rule change on the eve of a final, and nor should they be expected to.

Guehi’s presence in the opposition defence could genuinely influence the outcome of the match. That is precisely why rules should remain consistent until the competition concludes, ensuring fairness and avoiding precedents that could damage the game’s credibility

Dan Smith

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