RALPH Hasenhuttl believes being permitted to make five substitutions in the Premier League this season would be a “good thing” but insisted: “I don’t think it protects you from injuries.”

The Saints boss was speaking after the likes of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola called for an increase of the maximum allowed changes in a game.

The EFL this week made the switch to opt for five substitutions for the rest of their season – bringing themselves in line with the majority of leagues across Europe.

The Premier League at present still only permits three changes – the issue having twice gone to a vote between clubs.

And while he sees the benefit of five substitutions with the demand of the coronavirus-hit schedule – Hasenhuttl insisted it would not prevent further injuries.

He said: “I was happy when in the summer they changed it to having five subs.

“The crazy thing is, I didn’t use it very often, even if we could, and I don’t really think that it avoids injuries, because one fact is for me clear.

“When you have five subs the game doesn’t slow down, in the end it speeds up again.

“So that means it causes problems for the guys who are still on the pitch.

“Normally everybody is getting tired at the end of the game, and the game slows a little bit down. I don’t think it protects you from injuries.”

During Saints’ nine fixtures in last season’s Project Restart, when five subs were permitted, Hasenhuttl made the maximum number of changes on just one occasion.

“It definitely helps to flip a little bit more the players and to have more rest time for some players,” he added.

“For the teams that have more games than we have, it’s an advantage for them, but I can take it, it’s okay for me.

“I think five subs, especially in this special season with this very, very intense time, with a lot of fixtures coming up it’s a good thing, absolutely.”