Everton have just four Premier League games left to save their season and avoid their first relegation from the top tier of football since 1951.
The Toffees are currently one point deep in the relegation zone after failing to pick up a victory in their last seven outings and it is clear that Sean Dyche needs to re-evaluate his team selection ahead of their remaining fixtures.
The former Burnley boss had a bright start at Goodison Park which looked to put Everton in a great position to comfortably survive their second consecutive relegation battle, however, over the last month, the new manager's magic has well and truly worn off.
Dyche made several tweaks to the team upon his arrival at the end of January, which has seen Conor Coady become an outcast, whilst the likes of Michael Keane and Abdoulaye Doucoure have been given a second chance to revive their careers on Merseyside.
Indeed, the return of Keane was met with mixed emotions following his "awful" as per Connor O'Neill- defensive performances last season. However, at first he was a breath of fresh air alongside James Tarkowski in the centre-back partnership, scoring a phenomenal long-range strike against Spurs.
Unfortunately, much like Dyche's impressive start, the defender's performances have been questionable in recent weeks, with the Toffees conceding a whopping 11 goals in their last five Premier League meetings.
Should Yerry Mina start for Everton?
Whilst Keane cannot be completely blamed for the downward spiral Everton have found themselves in this season, continuing to play a defender who is consistently showing they are not up to scratch could be the catalyst in the club's potential relegation to the Championship in the coming weeks.
In his most recent calamitous display against Leicester City on Monday night, the 30-year-old dud – branded "pathetic" by journalist Ryan Taylor last term – was dribbled past twice, lost possession of the ball 16 times and lost nine duels, as well as giving away a penalty to the Foxes just before half-time for a blatant handball in the box.
As a result, there is no doubt that Keane should be dropped in a time where there is now no room for error. Instead, Dyche should deploy Yerry Mina alongside Tarkowski for the remainder of the season.
The £120k-per-week Colombian has been rarely seen in the starting XI this season due to numerous injury issues, however, it is without question that Mina is a solid centre-back who could significantly improve the defensive performances given the opportunity.
Despite only making three league appearances this season, he is the second highest-rated player in the entire Everton squad – according to SofaScore – and it's not hard to see why when reflecting on the huge presence he provides when on the pitch.
The 28-year-old – dubbed a "monster in the air" by Lutz Pfannenstiel – has scored one goal and tallied up a 90% pass completion rate, as well as averaging three tackles, three clearances and winning a whopping 6.3 duels per game, proving that he is dominant and looks after the ball both in possession and when distributing it to his teammates.
With that being said, deploying Mina in the important centre-back role could ultimately be a tweak to the team that saves them from leaking even more goals and in a position to earn vital points over the next few crucial weeks for Everton.