Brendan Rodgers has become the latest Premier League manager to back proposals for five substitutions per game.
Brendan Rodgers said: “It’s a Catch-22 really, because when he was lying down I had it prepared in my mind that he was coming off and we’d have to play that last bit with ten men. But the warrior he is and with that spirit he didn’t want to come out of the team. He was still running and moving, it was a higher strain of hamstring so it allowed him to continue. There’s no doubt if we could have made another sub, that would have certainly helped protect him for sure.”
In recent weeks, City have put the likes of Ben Nelson, Kasey McAteer and Oli Ewing on the bench and Rodgers has no qualms about including young players in his squads. He does admit, though, that some may not be ready to be thrust into Premier League football at such a young age. When asked if he will have enough players to fill his bench on Saturday,
Brendan Rodgers said: “That’s a different issue because I’ve always been one that promotes young players. But the other issue around that is you bring another player on the bench and though he may not be ready, he’s deemed available to play in the biggest league in the world. We’ll have players to go on the bench but it’s another issue about availability.”
So, is making five changes per game instead of three the answer?
Brendan Rodgers said: “Yeah, one hundred per cent. I think that, for me, the possibility to do that would really help to change things. Five subs definitely would help. Some don’t think that’s the case, but I can only talk from our position.”
