It comes after the IHF COVID-19 Medical Task Force suggested the idea ahead of the event which is scheduled to take place in Egypt in January.

Each team will now be allowed 20 players instead of 18 on their definitive list, with the standard 16 players still appearing on the match report.

This measure is designed to provide teams with a wider pool of players, with more alternates in case any health issues occur.

It also aims to avoid player injuries following the reduced amount of training and matches caused by the pandemic.

Sport is particularly sensitive at the moment due to the threat of COVID-19, which has caused withdrawals from athletes in sports such as tennis in recent weeks.

In September, Czech Republic's national football team were forced to play an inexperienced team in a UEFA Nations League match against Scotland, losing 2-1 in the process.

This was after multiple players were diagnosed with the virus, which to date has killed more than one million people.

The IHF Council's decision currently only applies to the Men's World Championship.

The costs of providing the four additional players per team will be covered by the IHF.

There has also been an increase in the maximum number of replacements allowed for each team at the World Championship, from three to five.

This measure was put in place to ensure that no team is forced to make unsafe decisions and that players can be replaced easily.

The IHF COVID-19 Medical Task Force will oversee the safety of the event in Egypt, as well as handball at the postponed Tokyo 2020 next year and the preceding qualification events.