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Sandy • Mike Petke said choosing between his team's highest-paid player and its backup striker isn't an isolated spot in the starting lineup needing specific attention.

That decision, he said, is the same as any other position that Real Salt Lake's head coach puts required thought into.

"It depends on who we're playing, how we want to play, their strengths versus the strength of our lineup I'm putting out there," Petke said Friday. "A lot of things go into it. Every player on this team is important and they have to be ready to step up."

But for the third in RSL's last four games, Petke went with Luis Silva instead of Designated Player Yura Movsisyan. Silva earned the start Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union as point striker in RSL's 4-3-3 formation. After RSL's 1-0 loss in Seattle last weekend, Movsisyan, RSL's leading scorer with four goals in 2017, told The Tribune that he felt his current role on the team is "a joke."

After Tuesday's training session, Movsisyan said, "Obviously when you don't play, how can I be happy?"

Petke on Friday spoke of Silva's ability to combine with any number of RSL's fellow attacking players as a prime reason he's been earning more minutes as of late. The 28-year-old, who returned to RSL this offseason after a year in Liga MX with Tigres, isn't employed as a traditional focal-point forward, Petke said.

"He's a guy that, when he's played, he has so many touches on the ball directing with Albert [Rusnák] and directing with [Joao] Plata, with Brooks [Lennon] when he was here, now [Jefferson] Savarino," Pekte explained. "That gives the opportunity for either him to create to take the space or other guys shooting into that gap."

The start was Silva's fifth of 2017. Entering Saturday, he had one assist — to Movsisyan in RSL's 4-2 loss at Minnesota United on April 1.

Injury report

RSL's once-massive injury list is whittling down, but it might be a while before every player will be available. Jordan Allen (leg), David Horst (knee surgery) and Demar Phillips (hamstring) are progressing on each of their individual timelines, Petke said.

As each player inches closer to return to full training sessions, Petke said the ideal scenario would be to get them rehab minutes with Real Monarchs, the way the club has this year with Sunday Stephen, Aaron Maund and Tony Beltran.

"I can't sit here and commit 100 percent that everybody will fall into that, for various reasons," Petke said, "but that is the mindset, and I think it's invaluable."

Is Club America next on the list?

After RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen led a tour of the $60 million RSL training facility in Herriman on Wednesday, he might've dropped a hint as to which major soccer club will soon be on its way to Rio Tinto Stadium for a future friendly match.

"We want to have the very best of the world to come to Rio Tinto," Hansen said.

He named Manchester United, which will be in Sandy on July 17, then dropped Mexican powerhouse Club America and also said, "one of the best in the world."

ckamrani@sltrib.com Twitter: @chriskamrani