Need advice on how to fix a contract mistake.

[Outsider23]

So, lately, I've been more diligent than usual when it comes to not letting my players' contracts run down too much, the problem is that I accidentally promised my second choice striker "important player" minutes when I meant to give him "regular starter" minutes.

He's played a lot of minutes this season, so this is a problem that I can ignore for a little while at least, but I am going to have to deal with it at some point. If I reduce his minutes he will be understandably pissed off and his teammates might support him. 

I could dump him, but I don't want to because he has improved massively in recent times and I'm not sure how high his potential is.

I don't want to make him first choice either, because he is kind of an odd player attribute wise and doesn't fit my system as well as the other guy, who by the way has scored hattricks on three separate occasions despite missing half the season due to injury.

I could try to alter my tactics to accommodate both players playing at the same time, but I'm not quite sure how this would work even though, in theory, they compliment each other.

Basically, the ideal would be to reduce his minutes without him getting angry or to sell him at a very, very high price.

[Baodan]

Offer him a new contract with less playing time.

[Xfactor9600]

You could wait it out until he complains, and then play him as promised until he becomes settled again. Once settled you could then play him less until he complains again. Many times if you're doing well enough as a team (and the individual player isn't selfish) they will be content (enough) with this strategy. I ride the rollercoaster this way in my saves. 

I've never seen a breakdown (I've honestly never looked though) of how many matches and minutes the various playing time promises require. 

[Prokopije]

Go to his happiness menu and reduce him to regular starter. If he have long contract, than let him be pissed off if he wants to be. He'll come around eventually. If team starts riots, you can solve that through team talk.