RALPH Hasenhuttl will be able to make up to five substitutions when football returns later this month.

Before the coronavirus crisis, sides were only able to make three changes.

The increase to allow for five substitutions is only temporary and also means Hasenhuttl can name nine players on the bench as opposed to seven.

A statement read: "Premier League Shareholders today agreed temporary changes to the rules relating to substitute players.

"For the remainder of the 2019/20 season, the number of substitutes that can be used during a match will increase from three to five players.

"This is in line with the temporary law amendment made by the International Football Association Board last month. 

"Shareholders also approved for Clubs to increase the maximum number of substitute players on the bench from seven to nine for the rest of the 2019/20 season."

The purpose of the change is to help manage the workload of players who are returning to action after the suspension of the Premier League due to the coronavirus pandemic, and who are likely to have very little further break before the 2020-21 campaign begins.

The Bundesliga, which returned in May, has adopted the five substitutes rule.

Substitutions can only be made at a maximum of three points in a match, to avoid unnecessary delays.

It's understood no decision was taken on a framework to curtail the season at Thursday's meeting.

There had been reports ahead of the meeting that some clubs were still hoping for relegation to be ruled out if the season could not be finished.

EFL chairman Rick Parry warned last month that "lawyers are going to get wealthy" if the Premier League did attempt to block clubs being promoted from the Championship, and said it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement between his organisation, the Premier League and the Football Association which was set out when the English top flight was founded in 1992.

It has been reported that clubs will only settle on a curtailment model in the event of a competition being suspended for a second time.

Guidance on returning to domestic competition set out by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport last weekend calls for there to be "an agreed procedure in place to modify, restrict, postpone or cancel the competition".

There is not expected to be any definitive announcement on fixtures just yet, or confirmation of which broadcasters would screen which games with all 92 matches set to be televised.

Clubs were sent the return to play and match day operations draft protocols - covering details on what matches behind closed doors should look like - earlier this week and these were discussed at the meeting.