FA Cup rule change to help Man City as Salford City's task gets even bigger

Manchester City are set to host Salford City in the FA Cup

Marc Guehi will be available to play for Manchester City in the FA Cup due to a recent rule change. City are set to take on League Two side Salford City in the fourth round on Saturday.

England defender Guehi arrived as a new signing during the January transfer window. The 25-year-old completed a £20million move from Crystal Palace as City looked to bolster their defensive options.

Guehi has instantly slotted into the side and is eligible to face League Two opponents Salford City at the weekend, despite playing for his former club in the previous round. The centre-back captained the Palace team that suffered a shock exit to Macclesfield last month.

He would previously have been ineligible to feature in City’s quest for FA Cup glory. However, a rule change was made ahead of this season’s FA Cup, essentially allowing players to represent more than one club, although not during the same round of the competition.

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The section of the rulebook reads: “A Player shall only play for one Club in the Competition during the same Season, save that a Player that has played for one Club in the Qualifying Competition and/or the Competition Proper may play for a maximum of one other Club in the Competition Proper (but may only play for a maximum of one Club in any given round of the Competition).”

This is a boost for City, who have been without John Stones and Josko Gvardiol in defence. Ruben Dias recently returned as a substitute in the win over Liverpool, replacing Abdukodir Khusanov, who was initially feared to have suffered a concussion.

The FA Cup rule change will be welcomed by manager Pep Guardiola, in contrast to the club’s inability to play Guehi in the Carabao Cup. Unlike fellow new signing Semenyo, the England star arrived after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and was ineligible for the return game against Newcastle United.

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City’s appeal for the rule to be changed ahead of the cup final with Arsenal was rejected by the English Football League. However, Guehi can help City advance in the FA Cup.

Guardiola’s team breezed through the previous round with an emphatic 10-1 win over League One outfit Exeter City, with new arrival Semenyo among those on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, Salford progressed with a 3-2 victory over Swindon Town, following earlier wins against Lincoln City and Leyton Orient.

Man City being closer to full strength is a blow for Salford, who will aim to pull off an unlikely upset at the Etihad Stadium. Karl Robinson’s side were last in action on Thursday, February 5, while their upcoming opponents recently faced Fulham on Wednesday night.

“It is a testament to the players that they have managed to find their way through to this stage,” Robinson said in January after Salford advanced to the fourth round. “We haven’t had an easy run to this point.

“We’ve been in some very difficult games and every team we have played against has been in the league above us. Last season, we broke a club record by getting to the third round of the cup and missing out on the play-offs by a point or a goal. This year, we have progressed again by reaching the fourth round.”