As gambles go, this one was hardly surprising from Frank Lampard ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool.
In fact, given what the Everton boss had said on Friday when previewing the game, the move came as no surprise to many Evertonians. To the wider football world, however, eyebrows were raised.
Just days after making his return from injury against Leicester City, Yerry Mina was once again missing for Everton. Although this time he wasn’t injured, instead his boss opted to rest him, keeping him fresh for the Blues’ run-in.
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Speaking after the game, Lampard has explained the 'difficult' decisions which faced him concerning both Mina and Fabian Delph, who was named on the bench for the 2-0 defeat.
He said: "Difficult decisions, they came in and have both been really effective. Delph for two games, Yerry for one.
"Yerry was a bit stiff and tight two days after the game. It's normal when you've been out for ten weeks and with his history it was a decision made with a tough process of the next games coming up.
"Delph was similar. They're important players for us and we took them out and the players who came in did well."
On one hand you can understand Lampard’s thinking. Mina is arguably the club’s best centre-back and many Evertonians have been praying for him to return to their side’s starting line-up for some time.
Everton have been a disaster at the back for large parts of this season. Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate have all endured difficult moments and been at fault for many of the goals the Blues have conceded.
So it is easy to see why Lampard was perhaps keen to wrap the Colombia international in cotton wool ahead of the Blues’ final six games of the season. Everton need as many of their best players on the pitch in the coming weeks.
However, there is also a very good counter argument to be made that Lampard should be starting his best players in whatever game comes first. And certainly not resting them for games to come.
Going into Sunday’s Merseyside derby Everton’s biggest game of the season was the one they were about to play, which happened to be against Liverpool. So in that case, Mina should have started and not been rested.
Then the call not to even have him on the bench comes into question when Godfrey pulls up in the warm-up and has to be replaced by Keane. Granted the former Manchester United man went on to enjoy a decent game, but the fact Mina wasn’t there to be called upon was somewhat baffling.
Mina has managed to make just 12 appearances in all competitions this season, only three of which have come under Lampard - for a combined total of about 201 minutes for his new boss. Which means banking on him to stay fit for the remaining six games of the campaign is a massive gamble by Lampard.
Given the club’s current position Lampard has to gamble, there is no denying that. He has to gamble on team selection, formations and what substitutes to put on when Everton are chasing games.
But gambling on an injury prone player to stay fit could be a step too far for the Everton boss. Lampard will be hoping the defender manages to do something he hasn’t been able to do all season in the coming weeks otherwise Sunday's gamble will be one that has spectacularly backfield.
