If you were one of many to raise your eyebrows at Liverpool making a sixth substitution against Southampton you were not alone, as even Mohamed Salah attempted to stop it.
With Arne Slot making three substitutions at halftime in response to bottom-of-the-table Southampton‘s unlikely lead, one safely presumed he had just two more to make.
Diogo Jota and Wataru Endo were turned to later on in the second half to complete the five substitutions, but Jarell Quansah was then sent to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final minute.
This made for six substitutions, which would have been a surprise to many, but it was allowed after Saints defender Jan Bednarek was subbed off under concussion protocols.
If there are clear symptoms of a concussion, as would have been the case when Bednarek clashed heads with his teammate, a team can apply to replace the player with a concussion substitute.
The procedure means the change was medically enforced and thus does not count to the usual five substitutions, and to balance it out the opposition also receives a sixth change.
It is not a common occurrence and confusion around the rule is understandable, as we all found out.
The last time, and perhaps the only time, Liverpool are known to have used six substitutes was during the Carabao Cup final last season after the match went to extra time.
Mohamed Salah tried to stop sixth sub
The referee had to explain to Mohamed Salah that we were allowed to have a 6th sub due to the concussion protocol, after Mo was trying to prevent it from happening in case we get docked points.
He’s really making sure we win the league. ? pic.twitter.com/xNNnW0k10p
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) March 8, 2025
As cameras showed Quansah waiting to get on the pitch, you may have been trying to count on your fingers how many changes Slot had already used, or in Salah’s case trying to stop it.
He knew how many Liverpool changes had already taken place and did not want to see the club get in any trouble – he really does not want anything to get in the club’s way this season, and rightly so!
The Egyptian’s remonstration brought him and referee Lewis Smith together, and it would have then been explained that Liverpool got the extra change due to Bednarek’s early departure.
It goes to show, though, how switched on Salah is during the game to any and all changes, awareness and game intelligence that not every player has – he wasn’t to know concussion rules came into play.
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