I don’t think there’s anything strange or that there’s a major plan around the corner with a few of those midfielders, because they haven’t played so much.
First of all, it’s player quality. Second of all, it’s cohesion. You don’t really rotate on a 50-50 flip of a coin, just trying to keep match fitness as equal as possible across 22 players. That gets you nowhere. It’s a tough game at times, impossible for all players to have the same status, fitness or level of happiness. We’re past the days when you go to a tough away game, against a team with quality midfielders and a thought of “Endo in midfield instead of Gravenberch or Mac to make us more solid” is a serious option. There is more focus on making plan A better, with layers within the team that starts, with it’s principles of play that don’t change.
Some players of lesser quality are less rated or we don’t count on them for the future. Some were kept as backup or emergency, some are not easy to move on, or all parties couldn’t agree on the next move. Some are obviously more talented in the staff’s eyes and have to wait or do more to merit more chances. It’s the top level. It’s hard to find a situation at clubs where all 22 or how many players are 100% players we judge on for now and for the long term future and vice versa. You carry sometimes 2-3 extra players because of different circumstances and as long as it’s not Chelsea depth from some of their seasons, there shouldn’t be any issues or worry what to do with those players in a season. They’re in a certain position in hierarchy because of reasons. All trying to fight more in training and games to prove they merit more.
To do what we’re achieving this season or basically in any team, you need some clear starters in most positions, if not all. That is not to say that a player will play all games or that form and evaluations by the staff won’t change over the season. Slot maybe wanted less of “intensity is our identity” (still an important factor or our game though), less injuries… which would also allow less rotation.
Midfield especially, a key area of the team, also switching to a double-pivot is where Slot judged is vital not to change too much.
We’ll see with time, when we evolve more and more under him, if it all goes well and he’s still here, if then he’s more comfortable to change. Now we’re still in the process of becoming ‘his’ team.
Main thing is that our squad size is almost perfect, we have two players per position + another few in and around the first team squad. Not too many out on loan. We used to carry bigger numbers in some of previous seasons, that wasn’t healthy. But we also had more injuries.