Ralf Rangnick says he’s looking forward to being able to use up to five substitutes in tonight’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United take on the Spanish giants at the Wanda Metropolitano in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie hoping to take back a lead to Old Trafford next month.
With United only playing Leeds on Sunday and another league match against Watford to come on Saturday against Watford, the German boss is looking to take advantage of the five-substitutes rule allowed in Europe’s elite competition in order to rotate his squad.
‘In the Champions League, we can sub five players, which is good,’ he said.
‘I would wish also this to be the case in the Premier League.
‘I think we’re the only league in Europe, as far as I know, with only three subs being allowed. Therefore, I’m very happy I can sub five players.’
In the 2019-20 season in June, clubs were allowed to make five substitutions instead of the usual three due to the increased playing demands and potential absences caused by players testing positive for coronavirus during the pandemic.
Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have kept that rule in place but the Premier League reverted to the three-subs rule at the start of last season.
The other rule change in this year’s Champions League has seen the away goals rule scrapped.
That now puts less of an emphasis on teams needing to score away from home in the first leg in order to gain a significant advantage in the second.
On whether that rule changes United’s approach, Rangnick said: ‘Well, not really but I mean it’s an important change.
‘I’m not saying it’s a good change. It’s important to know that it is not that important to score, it’s about getting a good result that leaves us all the chances for our home game against Atletico.’
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