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The Spanish football federation has approved the continuation of the five substitution rule and the 23-man match day squads for both La Liga and the Segunda in the 2020-2021 season. With a condensed calendar, followed by the European Championships this summer, rotation and rest will be key for any side to be successful. Injuries, as well as the potential for Coronavirus infection, will likely be prevalent this season and a large squad will be important.
The rule will likely be welcome news for Zidane and his players. It gives the manager more flexibility to make in game personnel changes to influence a match as well as granting fringe or reserve players more opportunities to impress. The rule change may also see more academy players be given the opportunity to debut with the first team.
The five substitution rule has been approved in Germany (welcome news for Reinier Jesus), but in the Premier League the decision has been taken to revert back to three substitutions. It will be an interesting case study to see which leagues fare best come the business end of the season, especially in the Champions League, when comparing five substitutions leagues vs three.