Just reaching the final, Man City receives bad news about their 'winter warrior'

A new signing from Man City's winter transfer period will not be available for the 2025/26 Carabao Cup final.

Recently, Man City demonstrated their overwhelming strength by defeating Newcastle 3-1 at Etihad Stadium, securing their place in the Carabao Cup final.

The day before, Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0, concluding the two-legged semifinals with a 4-2 aggregate score. Thus, the top two Premier League teams will face each other in the final on March 22 at Wembley Stadium.

With Man City yet to win the Carabao Cup since the 2020/21 season, coach Pep Guardiola is likely to field his strongest lineup for this crucial match. However, the Spanish manager will be unable to use center-back Marc Guehi due to a rule that makes him ineligible for the final.

The reason is that the English defender joined Man City after the first leg of the semifinals had already taken place. Therefore, Pep Guardiola will probably rely on the central defense pairing of Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias, especially as Josko Gvardiol and John Stones are both sidelined with injuries.

Conversely, Antoine Semenyo’s earlier contract signing makes him eligible to play. Given his impressive recent form, he is almost certain to start, providing additional reassurance to Man City fans.

During the recent winter transfer window, Man City spent £65 million to officially acquire Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. Just four days later, the winger was included in the starting lineup and scored in the 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinals at St James’ Park.

Afterwards, the Etihad side completed the signing of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, with an initial fee around £20 million. The center-back quickly adapted and made his debut just five days later in a 2-0 win against Wolves in the Premier League’s 23rd round.