An EFL rule change has ensured Swansea City could use some of the players they sent out on loan this season in their remaining matches of the 2019/20 season.
Kristoffer Peterson, Joel Asoro, Jefferson Montero and Jack Evans are among those sent away from the Liberty Stadium on a temporary basis during the course of the current campaign.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the season will be played beyond June, the month when player contracts typically expire.
It's meant clubs have had to offer players who are soon-to-be out-of-contract short-term extensions if they were to be available to play a part in their side's run-in.
Swansea have already seen Erwin Mulder, Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer, Kyle Naughton and Mike van der Hoorn extend their stays.
Some at other clubs have turned down those offers, leaving teams short on numbers for the final weeks of the campaign.
Players sent out on loan this term were not expected to be allowed to play for their parent clubs in these final stages of the protracted season.
But following an EFL rule change, those sent out on standard and international loans have now been given the green light to feature for their parent sides over the coming weeks after clubs voted in favour of altering the rule.
Previously, players were registered with their loan club for the duration of the loan, whether six months or 12 months.
The new ruling takes effect if the player is coming back from a club whose division has been curtailed or has not qualified for the play-offs.
It also comes into effect when a club is unable to fulfil all available places on a team sheet. In this scenario, clubs would be expected to fill voids using players from their academy first rather than using those sent out on loan.
It means Asoro and Peterson - who were at Groningen and Utrecht respectively - could, in theory, feature for the Swans this term given that the Eredivisie campaign has been curtailed.
The same applies to the likes of Evans, Brandon Cooper, Steven Benda and Declan John.
However, they can only play in extreme circumstances, such as in the event of a major injury crisis. International loans would require permission from FIFA first.
And such is the strength of Swansea's squad at present, it is highly unlikely that any of those sent out on loan during the course of the season will play a further part for the club this term.
Barrie McKay will remain with Fleetwood for their League One play-off fixtures while it's understood John, Peterson and Asoro are yet to return to Swansea.
Young stars including Brandon Cooper and Evans have trained with Swansea in recent weeks after the National League and League Two campaigns were curtailed, although they are unlikely to be required.
Montero and Courtney Baker-Richardson are expected to leave the Swans when their contracts expire next week.
