Five subs allowed in Champions League

UNITED and City will be able to use five substitutes in the Champions League this season.

Premier League clubs voted to return to three for this season, but UEFA have decided to stick to the rules which were introduced across Europe when football resumed following lockdown.

The news will be welcome to Pep Guardiola and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as they embark on what is set to be a gruelling campaign.

Europe’s top clubs had already lobbied UEFA to allow five subs per game for this season after only three were permitted in the qualifying rounds of European competitions.

Guardiola has previously spoken of his anger at only being permitted to use three subs in the Premier League.

He said: “I don’t understand why in this incredible period when everyone is concerned about Covid-19 and everyone is not allowed to go to restaurants, or should observe social distance and is not allowed to do what you want to do - in this incredible schedule we have after the pandemic, and (after) we finished the season late and started quickly - how we cannot protect the players with five substitutions. Instead we stick to three.

“When the argument is that it favours the top five or top six, it’s because the people don’t understand absolutely anything.

“The guys who are going to play (in teams) below the top five or six teams - the teams that people suggest are the stronger - they have the same problem as all of them.

“They have games every three days, and there is a way just to protect the players.”