Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has followed on from Jurgen Klopp by expressing his disappointment that Premier League clubs decided not to allow five substitutions per match this season.
Klopp believes that given the truncated schedule for the 2020/21 campaign, teams should be allowed to continue to make five changes during games.
The five substitutions rule was being brought in as part of Project Restart back in June, and is also being used in this season’s Champions League.
However, after Premier League clubs voted against the proposal back at shareholders meeting in September, the Reds boss voiced his frustration over the move.
He said: “So, it’s about we compress a normal season in a shorter period, which will be a proper challenge, especially with the wonderful rule we set up with 18 [players in the squad] and three [substitutes to make] pretty much.
“It’s only about player welfare, by the way – I wanted to say that, nothing else, but I don’t know why we have to discuss this at all.
“Like the whole world is doing, at the least the whole of Europe, but that’s how it is. It will just be difficult, but it is always difficult so that’s not new.”
And now Lampard has voiced his own frustrations at Premier League clubs who voted against continuing with five substitutions per match into the new campaign.
“The ball was certainly dropped when the Premier League turned away from having five subs,” he said.
“These are unprecedented times in terms of situations for football. It will carry on, it’s not going anywhere in the short term.
“The demands on players are huge for every club. I’m not just talking about my squad, I’m talking about every football player that is being asked to play day after day and the injury risk. It has changed the landscape.
“We’ll try to manage it as well as we can. We’re fortunate we have a big squad here.
"At the same time we want to do our best, the pressure is on and the players want to get the right results.
“It could certainly have a big effect this year, more than any other year. It will be a season like no other and none of us can control that. We can’t control the injuries that come upon us at different times.
“You can’t always read them whether they are impact injuries like (Virgil) Van Dijk, which was big news, or muscle injuries that we are seeing more of at this stage of the season.”
