**The English Football League (EFL) have issued their stance following Pep Guardiola’s public plea over Marc Guehi’s availability for the Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal.**
Manchester City sealed their place at Wembley Stadium with an emphatic semi-final success over Newcastle on Wednesday night, navigating the second leg with authority after taking a commanding advantage from the first meeting.
An early goal from Omar Marmoush at the Etihad Stadium tilted the tie beyond Newcastle’s reach, allowing City to control possession and tempo as they booked a 10th appearance in the League Cup final with a further goal from the Egyptian and Tijjani Reijnders.
That result also framed the backdrop to Pep Guardiola’s post-match comments, where attention shifted away from the performance and towards squad availability for the showpiece occasion against Arsenal in March.
Guardiola publicly raised the issue of Marc Guehi being ineligible to feature in the Final following the Newcastle win, urging authorities to consider flexibility given the unique circumstances surrounding the defender’s registration.
But now, according to [The Times’ Martyn Ziegler](https://x.com/martynziegler/status/2019349518257459343?s=20), the EFL will not change its competition rules to allow Marc Guehi to play for Manchester City in Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal, despite Pep Guardiola’s public plea on Wednesday night.
The report highlights that rules in the League Cup had already been eased at the start of the ongoing season to allow players to appear for more than one club if it was before the semi-final first-leg, which enabled Antoine Semenyo to feature for City.
The EFL’s stance brings clarity, but also finality, to the matter, leaving Pep Guardiola with no scope to include Marc Guehi in his Wembley plans when those preparations come to the fore in the coming weeks.
The governing body’s position reinforces that any regulatory leniency had already been applied earlier in the competition, closing the door on further exceptions. Attention will now turn to how City adapt defensively for the clash with Arsenal, with Guardiola to lean on other options such as Ruben Dias, Max Alleyne, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nathan Ake.
As seen throughout this campaign, Manchester City’s depth has often offset disruption, but the absence of a potential reinforcement may yet influence approach and selection.