Solskjaer Backs Introduction of Extra Substitutes

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has welcomed the decision to allow Premier League teams to make up to five substitutions when the season resumes after the coronavirus shutdown.

The Premier League was suspended in March because of the pandemic but was scheduled to return later in June, with United set to face Tottenham Hotspur on June 19.

United were then due to play Sheffield United, Norwich City in the FA Cup and Brighton in quick succession as clubs prepared for a congested run of fixtures.

To help teams cope with the demanding schedule, Premier League clubs agreed that managers could make five substitutions from an expanded nine-player bench.

Solskjaer said the change would help protect players who were returning to competitive football after a long period without matches.

“I think that’s helpful because footballers, after being out for so long, going into competitive games will be a challenge for them,” Solskjaer told Manchester United’s website.

He added that rotation would be important because players could not be expected to feature in every minute of every game after such a long break.

“We can’t just flog one player and say to them, ‘You play every game and every minute,’ because it might be a period when we have to rotate quite often,” he said.

United were three points outside the Champions League qualification places, and Solskjaer stressed the importance of making a strong start when the campaign resumed.

He described the remaining nine league matches as a short season in which every point could prove crucial.

The break had also allowed injured players such as Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford additional time to recover from ankle and back problems respectively.

Solskjaer, however, warned that neither player could be expected to immediately complete full matches after spending so long on the sidelines.

“We hope everybody’s going to be ready for the first game,” he said. “But I don’t think we can expect that those lads who’ve missed lots of football can last the full game.”