Manchester United and Man City set to be granted substitutions wish in dramatic Premier League U-turn

Manchester United, Manchester City and all other Premier League clubs are set to be allowed to use five substitutes during a game from next season.

Managers of both Manchester sides have previously voiced their support for the notion, which has also been constantly championed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp since its introduction amid the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. City boss Pep Guardiola slammed the decision to revert back to the traditional three for this season, branding it “ridiculous” in September, before doubling down on his stance in December.

“The welfare of players should be the most important... This is the only country to not accept five substitutions, just three. Why?” he questioned. United interim coach Ralf Rangnick echoed his calls, telling the media just before Christmas: “We are in a similar situation to the one we had one-and-a-half years ago, therefore I don't see why it shouldn't be as it was one-and-a-half years ago.”

The clubs who successfully voted against re-implementing the rule in pre-season pointed to the fact that it was only ever supposed to be a temporary measure and mooted that it hands advantages to rivals with bigger squads. As a result, England remains the only 'top five' league in Europe to still limit its replacements to three per game.

The 2021/22 season was littered with postponements during the winter due to high positive COVID-19 cases in club camps, which has led to a disjointed games-played table, a tight schedule and increased cases of injury. Klopp touched on this fact only last month when reiterating the need for five substitutions. And now, it seems he, Guardiola and Rangnick are set to have their way.

A report from the Times claims the Premier League is set to