Uefa have announced yet more changes to the Champions League and Europa League from next season, with 12 substitutes instead of seven allowed in the finals of each competition.

The rule also applies to the Super Cup, with Uefa saying the increase of substitute options will give “clubs and, in particular, coaches more flexibility” and allow them to “facilitate their squad management for the most important fixture of the season”.

There will also be a fourth substitute available for teams when knockout matches extend into extra-time, something that has been successfully trialled in the Club World Cup and the FA Cup among others.

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These changes follow those announced last month by Uefa as they moved to scrap the traditional 7.45pm kick-off times.

From the 2018/19 season Champions League games will start at either 5.55pm or 8pm – similar to how the Europa League functions.

All four English teams will be given direct passage to the Champions League Group Stages, as will teams from Italy, Germany and Spain as well as the current European Cup holders and the Europa League winners. Two teams from those four nations, plus France, will also qualify directly for the Europa League.

That means from next season, the top six will all be guaranteed to be in the Group Stage of either the Champions League or the Europa League, without having to win a two-legged qualifier as in previous years.

In total there will be more automatic qualifiers next season than in previous seasons, with 26 going directly into the group stage as opposed to 22 this season. That means only six teams will gain entry to the Champions League via the qualifying round, compared to 10 this season but it will remain as a mini knockout tournament.