THE Malaysian Football League (MFL) have given the thumbs-up to allow teams to use five substitutes when play resumes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) said they had agreed to a proposal by Fifa for a temporary change to the rules “to protect player welfare.”

However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make substitutions. Substitutions may also be made at half-time.

The M-League is expected to restart in September with the Super League and the Premier League, followed by the Malaysia Cup.

MFL have cancelled the FA Cup and the Challenge Cup.

However, the resumption of the M-League will be decided by the federal government next month.

MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said the temporary ruling will come in handy when the M-League restarts.

“Players will probably struggle with fitness due to the long layoff and this ruling will help reduce injuries,” said Ghani.

FA of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said: “We will decide soon on whether we should allow teams to use five substitutes during M-League matches.”