Coronavirus: Football teams will be allowed to use five substitutes to deal with fixture backlog

Football teams will be allowed to use five substitutes when play resumes after the coronavirus pandemic, the sport’s law-making body announced on Friday.

The International Football Association Board said in a statement that it had agreed to a proposal by world governing body Fifa for a temporary change to the rules “to protect player welfare”.

Teams face likely fixture congestion in a packed calendar as they attempt to make up for lost time when play can resume. The lay off is expected to have an impact on player fitness levels too.