Theo Walcott may be the odd man out in Silva’s potential tactic change

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Everton may switch to playing three centre backs in the near future.

Everton have really started to blossom under Marco Silva, winning four of their last five Premier League games as they reap the rewards of a strong summer transfer window.

The Toffees have seen summer signings Lucas Digne, Kurt Zouma and Richarlison thrive, whilst Silva has also been getting more out of Michael Keane and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Everton now head to Chelsea at the weekend, and Zouma will be unavailable for the game, presenting a chance for big-money summer signing Yerry Mina to come in for a first Premier League start.

The Colombian has been out through injury for the last three months, but now brings a real aerial presence to both boxes – and the chance for a potential tactical change for Silva.

Silva has hinted that he would like to switch to play three at the back if possible, and now Mina is healthy, there is a real chance that Everton could line up with Zouma, Mina and Keane at the back.

That would allow Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman to serve as wing backs, with Andre Gomes and Idrissa Gueye continuing in central midfield as they currently do in a 4-2-3-1.

Dropping a forward would then be the issue, and Theo Walcott may just be the odd man, potentially becoming the second Sam Allardyce signing to be dropped by Silva after Cenk Tosun.

Having Bernard and Sigurdsson centrally to create behind Richarlison seems like the most likely course of action, and if Everton do go to a three-man defence, it’s hard to see where Walcott fits in.

The former Arsenal man may fit in a 3-4-3 as a right winger, or in a 3-4-1-2 as a striker, but it’s hard to see where key man Sigurdsson plays in the first, and Bernard is unlikely to be dropped in the second.

Walcott’s recent performances haven’t been great, with no league goal since the 25^th of August, and if Silva does make his proposed tactical switch, he stands out as the man who could be dropped to make way for Mina on a more regular basis.