Jürgen Klopp’s desire for a new regulation was ‘laughed at,’ but the Liverpool manager has since been vindicated.

It is a relief that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp had his ‘essential’ change to the Premier League regulations lobbied for, despite facing considerable opposition.

Andy Robertson, a left-back for Liverpool, suffered a shoulder dislocation during the international break of the previous month while representing Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain. Upon his return to Liverpool, a consensus was reached that surgical intervention was his best course of action.

According to BBC Sport, Jürgen Klopp confirmed that the operation was performed on October 25 and that the rehabilitation period will last approximately three months. With respect to the chronology, it continues to be the most severe injury to impact Liverpool thus far this season.

Injury incidence is on the rise throughout the entirety of the Premier League. Professional Ben Dinnery told BBC Sport that there have been 196 since the beginning of the season, representing a 15% increase over the previous four campaigns.

This disclosure has unavoidably heightened concerns regarding the well-being of players, and the current state of affairs suggests that the situation will only worsen. In the first phase of UEFA competitions beginning the following season, clubs will compete in two more matches due to the implementation of a novel “Swiss model.” Those teams that conclude in the round of 16 but fall between ninth and twenty-fourth in the overall 36-team league table will be required to compete in an additional knockout round. In lieu of the customary December-February hiatus, the tournament’s finalists may compete in as many as seventeen games.

In the interim, FIFA has announced that, beginning in 2025, the Club World Cup will feature 32 teams, be expanded to four years, and feature 12 European teams. Its summertime location could substantially lengthen the season for elite athletes.

Regarding the game’s concerning trajectory, minimal efforts are being made to rectify the situation. For example, there are no indications that the international match schedule will be reduced in order to accommodate the club’s increasingly hectic schedule. In contrast, recent years have seen the addition of more nations to the AFC Asian Cup, European Championships, Africa Cup of Nations, and CONCACAF Gold Cup, and since 2026, the World Cup will feature 48 countries. Simply put, more matches equals more revenue; therefore, any subsequent shifts toward moderation will result in decreased revenue.

Among the few effective countermeasures that have been observed, the implementation of five substitutes stands out. While this does not completely prevent the crisis in player welfare, it does help alleviate the issue by permitting additional leisure periods during games.

Indeed, it is worth considering briefly how dire the current situation would have been had the Premier League opted to maintain its three substitutes. Recall that there was initial opposition to the proposal, which did not receive sufficient support until 2022 subsequent to its provisional implementation as a component of ‘Project Restart’.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was among the most outspoken, consistent, and frustrated proponents when clubs voted “no.” “It is crucial that we revisit the five substitutes in the Premier League at some point,” he stated in March 2022 (as cited in This is Anfield). “The reason why it takes that long to comprehend it is beyond my comprehension.” Due to the fact that the Premier League must also preserve their elite athletes.

“With much fewer injuries over time, you would maintain a better environment for the players; we shall see if that becomes the case when we finally implement it.” That is precisely why we require five substitutes, I assure you. It is not amusing; I am uncertain as to why the correspondents in the room are laughing. We require five substitutes.”

Sadly, the fact remains that this modification was almost certainly only ultimately approved because it did not negatively impact organizations’ revenue. Thus, it was essentially PR free of charge.

However, elite athletes ought to express gratitude towards individuals such as Klopp, who utilized his platform effectively despite not being alone in his opinions, for advocating on their behalf. Although substantial progress will not be made until FIFA and its continental subsidiaries observe this advice, anything that relieves pressure on players—including the implementation of additional substitutions—should be applauded in the current environment.