Silva may be forced to thrust Jagielka centre stage upon his return from injury

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Yerry Mina is an injury doubt for Everton’s trip to face Cardiff City tonight, according to Marco Silva, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Mina has been ruled out of the last four matches with a foot injury and even the extended break since Everton’s last game has apparently not given him sufficient time to recover ahead of the meeting with the Bluebirds.

With Kurt Zouma suspended for the game against Neil Warnock’s side, having Mina back available would be a major boost for Silva – but he has said that another central defender is back and in contention; Phil Jagielka.

Jagielka has played just 54 minutes of top flight football this season, but if Mina is not fit to play tonight, there is every chance that Silva will have to push him straight back into action.

Silva has made a concerted effort to push Everton towards a more dynamic, younger backline and that has meant that Jagielka was not likely to feature much – even without being injured.

But he may well be needed and Silva will hope that the Englishman shows no signs of rustiness or any lingering effects of his injury against a side who are strong at home and provide a physical challenge.

That is the kind of game Jagielka generally relishes but if there are any signs of weakness, Cardiff will be looking to exploit them in a game that is significant for both sides.