Guardiola to Sit Out Two Domestic Fixtures After Sixth Booking

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is poised to serve a two-match touchline suspension after receiving his sixth yellow card of the campaign during Saturday’s FA Cup victory at Newcastle United. The caution, issued when Guardiola confronted fourth official Lewis Smith following a foul on Jeremy Doku, triggers an automatic two-game ban under new Football Association regulations introduced this season.

Under the revised disciplinary framework, Premier League managers incur a one-match suspension upon accumulating three cautions and a two-match ban once the tally reaches six. The sanction applies to league and FA Cup ties but excludes European fixtures and domestic cup finals, ensuring Guardiola will be in the technical area for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal on 22 March.

The Spaniard will therefore be absent from the touchline for next Saturday’s Premier League meeting with West Ham United and City’s forthcoming FA Cup quarter-final on the weekend of 4-5 April, the identity of their opponents still to be determined by the draw.

Speaking after the 2-0 win at St James’ Park, Guardiola greeted the impending ban with a mixture of sarcasm and resignation. “We have the record of the manager with the most yellow cards,” he said. “I want all records and now I have it, two-game ban now and I will go on holidays the next two games. There are things after 10 years I cannot understand. Review the action. Of course I’m going to defend Doku and all my teams.”

City’s back-room staff will now finalise plans for Guardiola to monitor matches from the stands, with assistants assuming touchline duties against West Ham and in the cup last-eight encounter.