Leyton Orient head coach Ross Embleton believes the new substitution laws have been brought in too late as they were needed when all teams were expected to play a heavy fixture list after a six-month lay-off.

The English Football League has confirmed five substitutes will be allowed across all divisions from the next round of fixtures.

The game’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board, announced in July that the five replacements rule would be extended into 2020-21 - but that it would be up to individual competitions whether they adopted it.

The Premier League is the only major top-flight division in Europe which does not allow teams to make five changes in a match during the current campaign, with the Champions League, Europa League and international fixtures also permitting five substitutes.

The EFL announced on Wednesday a motion in support of additional substitutes to be used had been passed by the board.

Under the new regulations - which come into force from November 20.

“I think it has come too late. I thought the start to the season for everyone was ludicrous. Everyone was playing so many games. It would have been great if this decision was made earlier, I think.

WHigher up the game, the increase in substitutions has helped keep squads’ happy. It does give an opportunity to get more people on the pitch. If you’re up or you’re down, you have the ammunition to make a change.”