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Premier League to discuss allowing changes to 25-man squads named for rest of season on restart

Aston Villa's Tom Heaton during the warm up before the match against Manchester United  -  REUTERS/Phil Noble
Aston Villa's Tom Heaton during the warm up before the match against Manchester United - REUTERS/Phil Noble

Premier League clubs will discuss whether managers can change their 25-man squads when the season resumes.

Lists for the second half of the season were submitted in February before the campaign was halted for the coronavirus pandemic. The remaining 92 games will recommence on June 17.

Chief executives have put “squad management” on the agenda when they meet on Thursday for more talks, which may allow swaps or additions to the pool of players available. Notable players who missed out four months ago included Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton and Paul Dummett at Newcastle, who have both been building up their fitness.

Reshaping squads could be a benefit to those battling relegation as they look for any advantage in the battle to beat the drop. Managers can name 17 players who do not fulfil the “home-grown” criteria or Under-21.

Other changes to be pushed during Project Restart include having five substitutes available during a match, which Fifa has confirmed will be allowed. With condensed matches, extra replacements have been planned to help prevent injuries.

Teams will still be allowed only to make substitutions three times during a match and at half-time, to avoid time-wasting.

The Premier League has been looking closely at Germany for the protocols needed to return while Covid-19 remains a threat. And in the Bundesliga the matchday squads have been increased to 20, which could be matched in England.

Fifa has allowed the option of scrapping the video-assistant referee but Premier League clubs will look to resist suspending it following concerns over sporting integrity.

It is down to each competition whether to use VAR - according to Fifa and the International Football Association Board - but clubs have already voiced concerns that finishing places could be determined by goals which would have been overturned by technology.