Everton defenders Mason Holgate and Phil Jagielka have not been used at all recently.
Everton went into their match against Cardiff City with Yerry Mina and Michael Keane selected to start in the heart of their defence.
The pair helped Everton to a 1-0 victory over Cardiff in front of their own fans, which helped the Toffees move up to seventh in the Premier League table.
Mina and Keane have now teamed up twice at Everton and kept two clean sheets.
But Silva’s decision to go with the aforementioned duo was not an easy one, as Kurt Zouma has been in such good form this season.
And Silva insists that he also is not overlooking the quality that he has deeper into his squad, with Holgate and Jagielka still around.
“It was a really difficult decision to take [at centre-back],” he said. “It is the type of decision a coach has to take.
“Zouma worked really hard during the week to show me he wanted to play and he deserved to play. Kurt and Michael had done really well, with Zouma on the left and Michael on the right.
“We have very good solutions in that position and I don’t forget the other two, Mason Holgate and Phil Jagielka.”
Holgate has not played in Everton’s last eight Premier League matches, while Jagielka has only featured twice this season.
The pair both are likely to have to wait patiently for their chances, as Everton’s options at centre-back look extremely strong this term.
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