Chris Sutton agrees with Pep Guardiola over player controversy surrounding Man City vs Sheff Utd

Chris Sutton is in agreement with Pep Guardiola over FA Cup rules that have kept two Sheffield United loan stars out of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.

James McAtee and Tommy Doyle missed out on playing at Wembley in the semi-final due to competition rules that state players cannot play against their parent club, even with the permission of the club. The pair are on loan at Sheffield United from City, and they have been a key part of the Blades’ impressive season.

Sheffield United have not only reached the FA Cup semi-final against the odds, but they are also on the brink of promotion back to the Premier League.

Speaking about the rule, City boss Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference: “The Championship is a good test to prove yourself. We’re incredibly delighted for them but unfortunately they cannot play. We would’ve loved that.

“We loan players to get experience, and what better experience would there be than to play a Premier League team in the FA Cup semi-finals for their development? Unfortunately, the rule is the rule and they cannot play.”

Speaking ahead of kick-off, BBC pundit Sutton vented his frustration over the rule, saying: “I understand why that is the case but, if your club has allowed you to leave on loan, they have deemed you not good enough to play for them. Why shouldn’t you be allowed to play against them? Joao Cancelo was allowed to play for Bayern Munich against City in the Champions League in the same circumstances, but the Football Association have a different approach to Uefa and it means McAtee and Doyle miss out on what would have been a memorable day for them.

“Who knows how many more times they will get the opportunity to play in the semi-finals of the FA Cup?”