Manchester United will not be reinstated into the Carabao Cup despite Grimsby Town being found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in their dramatic second-round victory over the Red Devils last month.
In one of the lowest moments of the Amorim era to date, United had to fight from two goals behind to force the League Two outfit to penalties, where they ultimately fell to a defeat which sealed their earliest exit from the competition in 11 years.
Grimsby loanee Clarke Oduor came off the bench for the final 17 minutes of the game and was the only player to miss a penalty for his side in the shoot-out, but it has now emerged that he should not have been playing anyway.
The EFL have confirmed that Grimsby self-reported the fact they unintentionally missed the registration deadline for the game by just one minute when they added Oduor to their squad, with a “comprehensive review” from the governing body ultimately accepting there was no intentional malice behind Grimsby’s actions.
As a result, the EFL have decided to hand out a fine of £20,000 ($27,000), half of which is suspended, but Grimsby will not be removed from the competition, meaning United have no hope of being added back in.
“Following a comprehensive review of all the evidence and considering prior decisions taken in respect of offences in the League Cup, the Board determined that the issuing of a fine followed precedent,” a statement read.
“The Board further noted the Club’s non-compliance was not deliberate with no intention to deceive or mislead. The Club has since implemented several actions to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.”
Back in the 2023–24 season, Barnsley were removed from the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player in a first-round replay away to Horsham. Forward Aiden Marsh played in the replay despite being on loan away from Barnsley for the initial fixture—a breach of competition regulations. Barnsley argued their mishap was unintentional but were still removed from the competition.
Crucially, however, that incident came in the FA Cup, not the Carabao Cup, and was ruled upon by a different governing body.
United will remain on the outside of Carabao Cup proceedings this season, but the Red Devils could still win domestic silverware though the FA Cup. The draw for the third round, which marks the entrance of Premier League sides, is scheduled for early January 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grimsby Field Ineligible Player—But Man Utd Will Not Get Carabao Cup Reprieve.