Chelsea striker Marc Guiu is eligible to play in the third round of the EFL Cup against Lincoln City on Tuesday because of a change in the rules for this season’s tournament.
It appears Chelsea were unaware of the rule change but were informed by the EFL hours before Tuesday’s kick-off, after seeking clarification.
Guiu is not expected to feature at the LNER Stadium but will be considered for selection by Chelsea in the competition for future rounds if they go through.
The Spanish forward represented Sunderland in the competition last month, while on loan at the Black Cats.
In previous seasons that would have meant he was not allowed to play for Chelsea in the tournament because he would have been ‘cup-tied’ – which means you are only allowed to play for one club in a cup competition per season.
But the new rule introduced for this season states players can feature for two clubs in the EFL Cup in the same season.
The 19-year-old was recalled by Chelsea because of an injury to Liam Delap.
Guiu made three appearance for the Black Cats, scoring once in the EFL Cup second-round defeat by League One side Huddersfield Town in August.
Chelsea’s resources up front have been depleted, with Delap set to be sidelined until December and Nicolas Jackson joining Bayern Munich on loan, while Joao Pedro has started all six of Chelsea’s matches in all competitions this term.
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