"I wanted to make sure we didn't feel tired and lethargic on the pitch," Howe explained.

"By making these changes, I thought we could trust the squad and use the players who weren't starting as much," he added.

Howe praised the performances of the players who came into the starting lineup, saying they were "excellent," and also commended those who remained from previous games for doing well.

The team ultimately won the match 4-1, which Howe attributed to a "good look" and a sense of athleticism and pace in the right areas of the pitch.

Howe also announced that defender Sven Botman would be seeing a specialist to recover from a back injury.