How do silva, Kovacic Gundogan impact his game time? If you’d said Foden cherki marmoush Bobb you might have made sense
Put simply, they take up more room and substitutions. Pep will always prefer them to get their game time and minutes because of the blind loyalty he has to them. I.e. make subs to bring them on etc. as opposed to bringing Echeverri on instead.
Take them away from him and he has no choice but to use newbies.