Pep Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start in goal against Arsenal in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.
Speaking in his pre-Cup Final press conference, Pep Guardiola was asked about who his keeper would be and confirmed it would be Trafford, adding, “For the team, it’s a big moment.”
He was then asked about the keeper’s attitude and he replied, “Beyond [happy], yeah.”
Trafford joined City with the expectation that he would be first choice, but after a few errors in his first game Guardiola signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has been their main keeper all season.
Trafford has played 1,080 minutes, not unlike Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is likely to start for Arsenal and who has played only 807 minutes himself.
Both managers therefore go into Wembley trusting their understudies rather than their regular league goalkeepers. David Raya may not even be on the bench for Arsenal this weekend, after his wife gave birth to their first child just this week, but it seems unlikely he will want to miss out should Arsenal win the final.
City’s defensive options are less than ideal heading into the match. They are set to be without two centre backs, with Josko Gvardiol still injured and “a long way off a return”, and Marc Guehi ineligible to feature in the competition for City.
The good news for City is that Rico Lewis returned to the bench on Tuesday after a five game absence with an ankle injury, though he may not be sufficiently match sharp for a cup final.
Another positive from their point of view is that City’s Champions League exit on Tuesday was so poor that it effectively allowed them to rest several key players during the match.
Already 3-0 down to Real Madrid from the first leg, City picked up a red card (nice rest for Bernardo Silva) and went in at half time lucky to be only 4-1 behind on aggregate.
With the tie effectively over, Guardiola withdrew Ruben Dias and Tijjani Reijnders at half time. With no sign of a comeback by the 56th minute, he also took off his primary goal threat Erling Haaland and Matheus Nunes, and he substituted Rodri in the 74th minute.
About Haaland, who has scored five goals in 18 games in 2026 (Viktor Gyokeres has nine in 19) Guardiola said ahead of the weekend, “I’m pretty sure he’s focused, like all of us.
“I did not speak with him, we’ve had two days off.I’m pretty sure he’s ready.”
Neither Arsenal nor City are massively struggling with injuries going into Wembley.
Mikel Merino will be missing for the Gunners on Sunday, and there are doubts over Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber.
But Eberechi Eze should be fit despite his knock on Tuesday, and it is still possible Odegaard and Timber will be too.
The remainder of the squad will be available barring any issues in training, meaning the best case scenario would see Merino as the only Arsenal absentee.