Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash with Chelsea will see both sides able to make six substitutions rather than the usual five, should they wish to do so.
The two kicked off Saturday’s late game in north London bidding to come away with local bragging rights. Spurs started the day in third, owing to a strong opening under Thomas Frank’s management, while Chelsea were languishing in the bottom half in the wake of an indifferent run of form under Enzo Maresca.
Ordinarily, both teams would be able to name nine players on their substitutes bench, with five players able to come on and influence the game. But that situation changed in the early stages after Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall took a blow to the head.
Lucas Bergvall
Lucas Bergvall initially wanted to continue playing. / Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images
The Premier League introduced concussion substitutions in 2021, following a period of consultation with medical experts and national associations. Those changes, along with others, are then continually reviewed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) who uphold the laws of the game.
Currently, the following protocols are in place:
IFAB Concussion Substitution Protocols
With Spurs’ medical team suspecting Bergvall may have suffered a concussion, he was withdrawn by Frank to be replaced by summer signing Xavi Simons. As a result of the Swede’s substitution, Chelsea are now able to make six changes and can implement that if Maresca wants to make additional tactical tweaks—something supporters may deem to be somewhat of an advantage.
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