The UEFA executive committee has confirmed that the five substitution rule will remain for this season’s Champions League competition, the association announced on its official website.
Teams were allowed to make five substitutions over last season’s Champions League knockout stage following the shutdown in play from the coronavirus pandemic. With teams facing rust and fitness issues following the lengthy break in play, UEFA changed the substitutes allowed per game rule to accommodate players.
Now, UEFA has decided to keep the five substitution rule for this season as a way for teams to “alleviate the burden on players caused by the condensed 2020/21 international match calendar amid the Covid-19 pandemic.” UEFA also announced that 23 players will now be allowed on a matchday sheet.
This is sure to benefit teams with outstanding depth at all positions. But this may not be the case with Paris Saint-Germain. The club is dealing with serious depth concerns, in particular with the current need for a quality backup center forward and center-back. PSG may also soon be in a hurry to sell some players, so depth issues may become a major talking point within the club over the upcoming Champions League season.
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