UEFA is considering the issue of allowing more than 23 players per squad for the summer’s European Championship, a spokesperson for the federation said on Thursday. “UEFA is considering the issue. No decision has been made yet,” a spokesperson told AFP.

The option has been prompted by calls from several coaches, notably of Italy, Belgium and France, to prepare for teams possibly losing players to COVID-19.

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Earlier, UEFA allowed the five substitutes rule for the summer tournament. In a statement, European football’s governing body said the decision to allow five subs at the delayed tournament had been taken as “the rule is already in place for the World Cup qualification matches that will run from March 2021 to March 2022.”

“The reasons for the five-substitutions rule remain valid against the background of national and international football calendars affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement continued.

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UEFA added that the rule would also be in place for the Nations League finals in October and its relegation “play-outs” in March next year.

The European championship, which was postponed from 2020 because of the virus, is due to take place from June 11 to July 11.