explanation of the situation regarding Chelsea’s Marc Guiu and his eligibility in the EFL Cup (Carabao Cup):
What happened
- Chelsea accidentally omitted Marc Guiu from their Carabao Cup squad for the match against Lincoln City, believing he was cup-tied (ineligible) because he already played in the EFL Cup earlier in the season while on loan at Sunderland.
- However, there has been a rule change for the 2025/26 season which allows a player to represent up to two different clubs in the same Carabao Cup campaign, under certain conditions.
- Under that rule, because Guiu appeared for Sunderland earlier (before the closure of the summer transfer window) and then moved (or was recalled) to Chelsea within that same window, he remains eligible to play for Chelsea in the competition.
- Chelsea reportedly were not aware of this rule change until shortly before the match, which caused the mix-up.
- Going forward, Guiu can be included in Chelsea’s squad for further rounds of the EFL Cup, assuming they progress.