Liverpool have suffered awfully with injuries this season. The Reds have lost over a dozen players to the treatment table at one time or another and there seems to be no relenting in the cases. Thankfully, Jürgen Klopp could get his wish of five substitutes soon after the EFL announced that they’d be reintroducing the rule.
Liverpool injury woes
Jürgen Klopp’s injury list has just grown and grown this year.
A shortened pre-season and a hectic schedule have seen a soaring increase in soft tissue injuries in comparison to this time last season.
The Reds have lost over a dozen players to illness and injury since the start of the campaign, some due to the physical demands placed upon them and some down to just bad luck.
For instance, Virgil van Dijk being ruled out for the season is mostly down to just bad luck – how can you account for the lunacy of Jordan Pickford in that moment?
Whereas Trent Alexander-Arnold missing a month due to a calf problem can be linked back to the crazy demands placed on the players.
EFL to reintroduce five subs
The EFL today voted to allow five substitutions in a game starting from this Friday’s tie between Coventry and Birmingham City.
The move comes in light of calls for the Premier League to revisit their decision to return to just three substitutes, Gareth Southgate said (via SkySports) about the matter:
“We were able to make five changes against Belgium – we made four in the end – and clubs don’t have that option.
“What will it take for that to change? There were a couple of less serious injuries against Belgium but what do we do? Wait until we get a load of really nasty ones?”
Klopp could get his wish
Jürgen Klopp has persistently pleaded for extra subs in order to help rest players during the hectic schedule.
The fact that the EFL have acted could well prompt Premier League clubs to rethink their stance on the matter.
Should the move prove a success in the EFL then there’s no reason why the dissenting Premier League sides won’t change their mind.
As the England boss said – how bad of an injury do we need to see before the change is made?
Some say that the bigger clubs benefit from the rule – does that really trump player safety?
Keeping our stars fit with the five subs rule could well be a season changer for the Reds.
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