The Premier League are set to re-introduce the five substitution rule from the start of next season. Clubs from the English top-flight are understood to vote on the matter on Thursday in a meeting in London.
During the Premier League's 'Project Restart', teams were allowed to make up to five changes per game due to fitness concerns in the coronavirus pandemic. However, as lockdowns were lifted, so was that rule, with England now the only country out of France, Spain, Italy and Germany to limit their teams to just three subs during a match.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is known to be an advocate for the five substitutions rule being brought back to the Premier League. Speaking in December of last year, with the Blues struggling with injuries and Covid cases at the time, Tuchel said: "For us it's the same situation as for anyone else.
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"We have concerns, because we are not only football players and coaches, we are also fathers and have family members so we are also concerned and have doubts and fears. Still we are privileged to do our jobs and do what we love the most so it's kind of in between. I'm very impressed with how the team takes it.
"You know very well that the situation was very different when we arrived in Wolverhampton and had seven positive tests in three days. We had the feeling that we had an outbreak and wanted some time to deal with it mentally and to settle the team down. That was not the case and we lived with it. We tried to be as supportive as possible.
"I just can say on this occasion I would love to push for five substitutions because five substitutions were made to protect the players when coronavirus popped up and made life difficult. I think the situation is very serious and very challenging so if we decided to keep on playing at least we should have five changes to control the load."
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp agrees with his German compatriot Tuchel, with the Reds manager saying in December 2020 it was about "player welfare". He said: "Everyone knows the 10 clubs who voted against it.
"Pretty much it's only them who have voted against it in Europe or even the world. It wasn't about advantages, it was about player welfare."
Gary Neville, when taking to Twitter to respond to Klopp's comments, claimed the Liverpool chief was "wrong". Neville wrote: "And he played his best players in moments he didn't need to!
"And being honest. He is my favourite manager in the world in terms of his football style and his personality. He is amazing. But he has this wrong."
