Pep Guardiola has appealed to the Football League to use "common sense" and allow Marc Guehi to play for Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. City will face Arsenal in the first final of the 2025/26 season on March 22 after beating Newcastle in the two-legged semi-final, but currently will do so without their January signing.

Guehi was able to come off the bench and score in City's 2-0 win over Salford City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The £20million signing from Crystal Palace was able to play, despite featuring in the same competition for his former club this season.

The FA Cup changed its rules for this season, allowing players to feature for more than one club in the same campaign. But the rules are not the same in the Carabao Cup.

While Antoine Semenyo can play for City in the final against Arsenal next month, Guehi is currently ineligible. That is because Semenyo's move from Bournemouth was completed before the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle, while Guehi's transfer wasn't.

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Guehi is currently unable to play at Wembley against Arsenal due to a time constraint requiring players to be available for their second club before the semi-final first leg. City have petitioned the Football League to make an exception for Guehi - and Guardiola emphasised the point once again after the win over Salford.

"For example, he cannot play in the final of the Carabao Cup," the City boss told the BBC when talking about Guehi. "Why can he play here and why not in the other one? Common sense [it] is not but it's OK."

Guehi came off the bench to replace John Stones in the second half and grabbed his first goal for the club to make progression assured after a tough challenge from League Two side Salford.

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"It's better for that [Guehi goal]," Guardiola said. "It has been a really tough three weeks with a lot of games and it's demanding. Today was the last game and now we have a mini break."

Guardiola is incredulous at the rules that are going against Guehi. Speaking to Sky Sports previously, he said: "Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the players fit and hopefully you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it's difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don't understand why he cannot play the final.

"So hopefully we write a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He's not able to play for a rule that I don't understand why. Hopefully, they can change it."

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