Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start in goal for the Blues in the opening leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie with Newcastle.
The Blues travel to St. James’ Park to seek an early advantage in the penultimate stage of the competition, having secured their first win of 2026 in a 10-1 rout of Exeter City in the FA Cup at the weekend.
City are yet to taste victory in the Premier League in the new calendar year after drawing in three successive meetings against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton this month, with Arsenal extending their lead at the top of the table to six points.
Guardiola has welcomed Antoine Semenyo to this attacking ranks in the January transfer window and the 26-year-old Ghanian scored and provided an assist on his Manchester City debut against Exeter on Saturday.
City will likely shuffle their pack against Newcastle at St. James’ Park but Guardiola will be wary of making too many changes to his lineup against a formidable Newcastle United side who inflicted defeat on the Blues in their Premier League meeting in November 2025.
Guardiola fielded a much stronger XI against Exeter than many would have expected, with Erling Haaland partnering Semenyo and Tijjani Reijnders in attack as the eight-time Premier League champions put the League One visitors to the sword.
Previewing the opening leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tie, Guardiola has confirmed that James Trafford will start in goal for Manchester City at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening.
“He’s reacted really well (to being second-choice goalkeeper behind Gianluigi Donnarumma),” Guardiola said on Trafford in a press conference on Monday afternoon.
Trafford, who returned to boyhood club City from Burnley last summer, is yet to play in the Premier League since the club signed Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window.
Despite starting each of City’s opening three Premier League games of the season, Trafford’s minutes have been largely restricted to cup games since Donnarumma’s arrival to England, with the latter establishing himself as the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper at the Etihad Stadium.
“No complaints. James (Trafford) is a top keeper, no doubt. The keeper situation is completely special. It’s play one or the other, not like some players who you can play different positions,” Guardiola added.
Trafford has been linked with a departure from Manchester City in January but Guardiola wants to retain the 23-year-old into the second half of the season as the Blues vie for silverware on multiple fronts and look to usurp Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
