Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has announced that James Trafford will take the starting position in goal for the Blues in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle.
The Blues will head to St. James’ Park aiming to secure an early lead as they progress to the penultimate round of the competition. They recently celebrated their first victory of 2026 with a remarkable 10-1 win over Exeter City in the FA Cup.
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However, City has struggled to find success in the Premier League this year, having drawn three consecutive matches against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton, while Arsenal has increased their lead at the top of the table to six points.
Guardiola added to his attacking options in the January transfer window with the acquisition of Antoine Semenyo, who made an impactful debut by scoring and assisting in the match against Exeter.
While City may make some adjustments to their lineup for the clash with Newcastle, Guardiola will be cautious about implementing too many changes, given that Newcastle United handed City a loss in their Premier League matchup in November 2025.
In the FA Cup match against Exeter, Guardiola fielded a stronger side than anticipated, with Erling Haaland partnering Semenyo and Tijjani Reijnders in attack as the eight-time Premier League champions overwhelmed the League One team.
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As he previews the Carabao Cup semi-final, Guardiola reaffirmed that James Trafford will be in goal on Tuesday evening at St. James’ Park.
“He’s reacted really well to being the second-choice goalkeeper behind Gianluigi Donnarumma,” Guardiola remarked about Trafford during a press conference on Monday.
Having returned to his boyhood club from Burnley last summer, Trafford has yet to make a Premier League appearance since Manchester City’s signing of Donnarumma on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window.
Despite starting in each of City’s first three Premier League matches this season, Trafford’s playing time has primarily been in cup competitions following Donnarumma’s arrival, with the latter establishing himself as the clear first-choice goalkeeper at the Etihad Stadium.
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“No complaints. James is an exceptional keeper, without a doubt. The situation with goalkeepers is unique; it’s about choosing one or the other, unlike some players who can take on various roles,” Guardiola explained.
Although there have been rumors of Trafford potentially leaving City in January, Guardiola intends to keep the 23-year-old for the remainder of the season as the team aims for silverware across multiple competitions while seeking to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title.