Premier League sides are reportedly set to allow the five substitutions rule to return from next season. The issue will be voted on in a Premier League stakeholders meeting in London.
That is according to The Times, who report that from the start of next season, each team will be allowed to make up to five substitutions during a match, providing the vote goes ahead. Ligue 1, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga all currently allow more than three subs in each game, meaning that the English top-flight is the only division across the top five European Leagues to permit just three replacements per march.
However, it appears that this won't be the case for much longer, with a total of nine players on each team's bench also set to be included. This could greatly benefit Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who currently boast an excellent crop of young talents, including Hale End academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe.
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Smith Rowe established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet towards the latter stages of last season but the Englishman has found starts slightly harder to come by in recent weeks, with Arteta settling on a front three of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette - whilst Martin Odegaard has occupied a role as a roaming number eight. Initially, Smith Rowe had been playing ahead of Martinelli on the left flank but Arteta confirmed that the England international had picked up several knocks, presumably because he was playing every match prior to his fitness woes.
Speaking about why the youngster was dropped back in December, the Spaniard said: "Well the main reason (behind) that was because he wasn’t completely fit to play. He’s been carrying an issue, and that hasn’t allowed him to train regularly, to play regularly, and that was the main reason.
"Because in his performances, and what he did before that international break – there is no question that he was one of our more important and consistent players. The only reason that changed the dynamic was that – and obviously now that the team (has been) doing well, there are other players who are doing well, and have been performing well.
"That changed the situation, but I am very happy with him." Perhaps the new substitution rule will help Smith Rowe get more play time from the bench whilst also allowing Arteta to take him off late in games when he is beginning to fatigue.
The former Manchester City assistant coach has often eased injured players back into the fold, an approach he has previously utilised with both Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu. This is something that can be further used to help the Hale End academy graduate improve his fitness regime, with the Englishman now able to share minutes with the likes of Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe.
Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stressed just how important allowing five substitutions is for managing young players, highlighting the benefits for reducing fatigue. Speaking during coverage of Euro 2020, he said: “Interesting maybe to notice that it is the first time that the tournament is played with five substitutes.
"It has reduced the level of fatigue. When you play with three, you play only two because the last one you have to change in the last five, ten minutes in case you have an injury.
"You have seen it has reduced the difference between the teams.”
