CHELSEA forward Marc Guiu has been named as eligible for the EFL Cup thanks to a little-known rule change – to his club’s surprise.
The teenager spent a short-lived spell with Sunderland on loan earlier this season but was recalled before the transfer deadline.
ReutersEnzo Maresca did not include Marc Guiu in his EFL Cup squad[/caption]
GettyThe Spaniard is eligible to play thanks to a little-known rule change[/caption]
He scored for the Black Cats in their EFL Cup exit to Huddersfield while with the club, an appearance that was believed to have made him ineligible for future EFL cup games this season.
However, a rule change for the 2025/26 season changed the laws to allow a player to turn out for two different clubs in the same campaign.
But Chelsea were reportedly not aware that the Spaniard was able to play in their cup match with Lincoln City on Tuesday, and he has been left out of the squad.
However, he will now be included in Blues boss Enzo Maresca‘s plans for the rest of the tournament, should Chelsea progress at the LNER Stadium.
The tournament may prove to be a crucial source of minutes for the young attacker, who was originally loaned due to not being considered part of the Italian’s first-team plans this campaign.
He was suddenly brought back following a severe injury suffered by starting striker Liam Delap ahead of the international break.
Nicolas Jackson was the natural choice to replace the Englishman, but he was already close to completing a loan move to Bayern Munich.
Though reports suggest Chelsea initially tried to cancel the deal, they ended up turning to Guiu instead, whose position at Sunderland was looking uncertain thanks to their busy transfer window.
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The North-East outfit brought in forward Brian Brobbey late in the window to support a prolific striking department of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.
Meanwhile, injuries to Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro‘s questionable efficacy as a lone central striker has opened up unexpected avenues for Guiu to finally make his impact on the first team.
Guiu arrived in West London in 2024 after debuting for Barcelona at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
He has scored six times in 16 appearances in all competitions since making the switch.
Fellow youngster Tyrique George appears to have been named as the stopgap striker for the cup fixture, despite being nominally a winger.
The move is just another sign that the rule change has set the stage for Guiu to finally make his mark at Stamford Bridge in the coming months.
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