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The IFAB today confirmed that five substitutions will be allowed in 90 minute matches for competitions ending in 2020. Teams will still only be allowed to bring substitutes on three occasions during a match in order to avoid excess stoppages.
The rule change will be welcome news to Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid. With matches expected to be played every 3 days in the hot summer months of June and July, rotations will be critical. The coach and the club who can best manage the demanding schedule will come out the most successful during the “Last Liga Express” final run-in. Some of La Liga’s smaller clubs will be pushed to the limit.
It is expected that the match-day squad will now be able to carry 23 players. This means more options for the manager to choose from to find solutions to tough games. The rule changes will be welcome news to the newly recovered Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard. It will likely provide more opportunities for the likes of Brahim Diaz and Mariano.