Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will ask the Football League for permission to play Marc Guehi in the League Cup final against Arsenal even though the England defender is ineligible for the Wembley showdown.
Guehi, signed from Crystal Palace in January, was forced to watch from the sidelines as City beat Newcastle 3-1 in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday.
City’s 5-1 aggregate victory set up a date with the Premier League leaders Arsenal in the final on March 22, but Guehi is not currently allowed to feature in the showpiece.
Unlike Antoine Semenyo, who also arrived at City in January from Bournemouth, Guehi is ineligible to play in the League Cup this season because the centre-back joined after the first leg against Newcastle took place.
Guardiola acknowledged he did not expect City to be successful in their plea.
But the Spaniard, aware of his team’s defensive issues this season and the threat posed by Arsenal, plans to make the case for Guehi’s inclusion regardless.
“Why should he not play? Why not?” Guardiola said. “He’s our player, we pay his salary, we hired him.
“We want to ask. I said to the club we have to ask definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final of the League Cup in March when he has been here a long time.
“Of course we are going to ask because it’s pure logic. But to change the rule, no way. But we will try.”
Omar Marmoush was the star for City as the Egypt forward scored the opening two goals before Tijjani Reijnders added the third before half-time.
Anthony Elanga’s 62nd-minute reply for Newcastle came after City had taken their foot off the gas.
City are back in the League Cup final for the first time since 2021 as they look to win the competition for the fifth time in the Guardiola era.
Trailing six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after a frustrating 2-2 draw at Tottenham last weekend, City’s progress to Wembley was a welcome boost for Guardiola.
“I do not take it for granted,” Guardiola said. “I know how difficult it is.
“I don’t know how many semi-finals and finals we have played in the FA Cup but it’s really good, and in 10 years five League Cup finals so it’s really good: top, top, top.”
Marmoush grabbed his chance to impress against the Magpies after Erling Haaland was reduced to a substitute role following a disappointing recent run for the Norway striker.
“He gives us a special quality,” Guardiola said of the Egyptian. “His pace, his moments in behind, and his work ethic.”
Newcastle’s reign as League Cup holders is over after a pair of error-strewn performances over the two legs left boss Eddie Howe fuming.
“Really annoyed with the first half display,” Howe said. “We pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically we want to be able to handle any problem the opposition gives us.
“That first half we weren’t good enough individually and our duels were off and it gave us huge problems.”