The EFL is reportedly set to switch to allowing the use of five substitutes, a move which will please Town boss Paul Lambert.

Clubs were permitted to use five subs when 2019/20 was restarted in the summer in order to reduce the workload on players following the break during lockdown, but the decision was taken to return to the usual three from seven when this season began.

Now, with injuries to players having increased in the opening couple of months of the campaign, The Athletic reports that Championship clubs are backing a move to use five subs from a nine-man bench, while League One and Two sides are said to be broadly in agreement but while keeping their matchday squads at 18.

Town boss Lambert said a month ago that he was in favour of sticking with five subs when 2020/21 got under way.

“Five subs was definitely one to look at,” he said. “Players are in an incredible situation where they’ve been off for six months and are now trying to cram everything in and trying to get games in, and five subs would have been common sense.”

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Suffolkboy added 11:23 - Nov 18 Makes a lot of sense – go for it ! Coyb
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itfcserbia added 11:38 - Nov 18 Five subs is a joke - what kind of game can you expect to have when you sub half the players? It will look like preseason.
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IpswichToon added 11:46 - Nov 18 You only have to watch the '78 FA Cup final for a reminder of how much football has changed in the years since. Back then there was just 1 substitute. Not even a choice of players - just one bloke for any position to replace who ever gets injured!
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positivity added 12:13 - Nov 18 sounds good. hope lambert adapts to it and uses his subs earlier, been too cautious this season (apart from the one time where it cost us against mk dons!)
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MonkeyAlan added 13:23 - Nov 18 Joke. 10 substitutes possible a game. Football is ruined.
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Les57 added 14:09 - Nov 18 May be good for time wasting but no good as a spectacle to watch. If you want to introduce 5 subs then so be it, But Only 3 during the second half. The other 2 can either be in the first half or at half time.
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