Aston Villa were against this major Premier League rule change - reports

Aston Villa news - the Premier League is set to return in the middle of June, after clubs agreed to a restart date

Aston Villa were reportedly 'not enthusiastic' over the decision to allow Premier League teams to make five substitutions, when the season resumes next month.

Months of speculation were ended on Thursday, with the 20 top-flight clubs agreeing to a restart date, with fixtures set to resume in the middle of next month.

Villa look set to kick-start the new Premier League schedule, with their game in hand vs Sheffield United, likely to be one of the first two fixtures played.

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But it promises to be a very different looking game that's played up and down the country, with a whole host of new rules and guidelines introduced amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The most obvious of which will be the lack of fans in stadiums, with supporters forced to watch their team on a number of channels. including the BBC for the first time in the Premier League era.

But another rule which will greatly impact the game in these unusual times, is the decision to allow teams to now make five subs, as opposed to the usual three.

Football law makers, IFAB agreed to the change for the rest of the season, with a chance it could become a permanent fixture.

According to a report by The Athletic, Villa bosses were not in favour of the change, with Dean Smith's squad one of the smaller in the top-flight.

Long-term injuries to Tom Heaton, John McGinn, Jed Steer and Wesley Moraes had stretched Smith's resources to the limit before the break. And although McGinn's return will provide a timely boost, there are still concerns that the change could provide more of an advantage for their opponents during the crucial run-in.