Arsenal told major Man City selection decision as Carabao Cup final starter revealed | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola confirms huge decision for Sunday’s showpiece fixture at Wembley

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start for Manchester City against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.

Both Guardiola and Gunners counterpart Mikel Arteta appeared to be facing selection dilemmas regarding their respective goalkeepers ahead of Sunday’s showdown between the Premier League title rivals at Wembley.

While Arteta will choose between regular No1 David Raya and usual cup ‘keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Guardiola’s decision is between Gianluigi Donnarumma and Trafford.

Both players were signed last summer, with Trafford moving from promoted Burnley for £30million in July, before City later swooped on Deadline Day to land Italy star Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain for around £26m as previous first-choice shot-stopper Ederson departed for Fenerbahce.

Donnarumma has been City’s regular starter in both the Premier League and Champions League since then, with Trafford only making a combined four appearances across those competitions and not appearing in the top-flight at all since August following Donnarumma’s arrival, having started the first three games of the season.

He has instead had to make do with starts in the domestic cups, appearing in all of City’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches so far this term.

It is a position he will retain against Arsenal at Wembley, with Guardiola telling reporters at Friday’s pre-match press conference when asked if Trafford would start the final: “Yep.”

Trafford has started every Carabao Cup and FA Cup game for Manchester City so far this season

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Asked how big a moment it would be for the 23-year-old, he added: "For the team, it's a big moment.”

Guardiola insisted that he was “beyond pleased” with Trafford’s attitude this season, despite the player having admitted publicly that being the No2 goalkeeper this season “wasn’t what he expected” after returning to City following Burnley’s promotion to the Premier League.

“Good, nothing to say,” Guardiola said of Trafford’s comments over his lack of game time. “Players can be happy, unhappy, it is what it is.

“They have to be here, to do the best that they do and after we see what happens at the end of the season. What's important is that they have to be ready.”

Trafford was earlier on Friday named by Thomas Tuchel in a bumper 35-man England squad for pre-World Cup friendlies against Uruguay and Japan this month, one of five goalkeepers selected alongside Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Aaron Ramsdale and Jason Steele.