By Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League clash at Bodo/Glimt, Marc Guehi could actually be an official Manchester City player. He is set to complete his medical any day now. Guehi would then be eligible for the domestic competitions (regulated by the FA) immediately, and then UCL in the later rounds.
However, he wouldn’t be eligible to feature against Bodo in midweek.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 7
Man City at Bodo/Glimt
Kickoff: Tue Jan 20, 5:45pm, Aspmyra Stadion, Bodo, Norway
Team News, Match Preview: go here
UCL Standings, Man City 4th, 13 pts Bodo/Glimt 32nd, 3 pts
Google Result Probability: Man City Win 69% Draw 17% Bodo/Glimt Win 14%
Pep Guardiola said he spoke with his bosses, Ferran Soriano and Hugo Viana, about the deal, but they did not confirm its finalization yet.
“I don’t know yet officially from my club,” Guardiola said.
“When I think you will know it, I will know when they tell me. Apparently it’s close, but I spoke now with Ferran and Hugo and they didn’t tell me anything about it.”
After Tuesday night’s UCL match, the next contest is a visit from Wolves on Saturday. That is when Marc Guehi would first be eligible to feature in a Man City shirt, hypothetically, and what a perfect opportunity that would be for him to get acclimated and adjusted.
Taking on the worst team in the league, and one of the worst is recent Premier League memory, is a great warm-up opportunity.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.