Soccer-Five substitutes approved for League Cup semis and final

Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter-Final - Everton v Manchester United - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - December 23, 2020 Manchester United's Donny van de Beek in action with Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin Pool via REUTERS/Clive Brunskill EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Teams involved in this week's League Cup semi-finals and April's final will be allowed to make five substitutions instead of three, the English Football League (EFL) said on Monday as they look to ease the burden of fixture congestion.

The Premier League voted against allowing teams to make five substitutions per match this season but the EFL said they had consulted with the four remaining clubs in the League Cup. The clubs can also name nine substitutes on the bench.

Tottenham Hotspur host second-tier Brentford on Tuesday, while Manchester United take on Manchester City on Wednesday.

The League Cup final, which is usually held in February, was postponed to April 25 in the hope that fans, currently not allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions, will be able to attend.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)