Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has seemingly confirmed the unavailability of Gianluigi Donnarumma in their EFL Cup final clash against Arsenal. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium on March 22.
Pep Guardiola has trusted Gianluigi Donnarumma to guard the goal throughout this season in Champions League and Premier League fixtures. Meanwhile, James Trafford has been included in the starting XI in Manchester City’s games in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. With Donnarumma being the clear first choice in priority games, there has been speculation in recent weeks about Trafford’s future at the club. However, Guardiola appears to have made up his mind to trust the Englishman for the Carabao Cup final this week.
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In the pre-match press conference, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola seemingly confirmed that James Trafford will start in their EFL Cup final clash against Arsenal on Sunday (March 22). He said (via GOAL):
“Players can be happy, unhappy. It is what it is. They have to be here to do the best they can do and after we will see what happens at the end of the season. The important thing is they have to be ready.”
While Donnarumma remains the main man to guard the goal, James Trafford has the chance to put up an excellent performance against Arsenal this Sunday. The results of the Carabao Cup will determine whether either side will take home their first piece of silverware this season.
Pep Guardiola explains whether the EFL Cup results will affect Manchester City’s title race with Arsenal
In the pre-match press conference, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also weighed in on the Premier League title race, where they’re eight points behind table toppers Arsenal. He said (via GOAL):
“I don’t know. I said before, of course winning helps just for the fact that winning helps. We can win on Sunday and then be bad in the league. I learned that in many competitions and many games with a short time of recovery you have to have the ability to forget and move forwards.”
Arsenal remain the favorites to win the Premier League this season, finishing their 23-year-long wait to lift the title. Their last title came in 2003 under legendary manager Arsene Wenger.
Meanwhile, Manchester City will do their best to win their first title this season with the EFL Cup. The Sky Blues bowed out of the Champions League after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the Round of 16. Therefore, Pep Guardiola’s focus remains solely on domestic titles this time.
Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar
