James Milner is suddenly a key figure when Liverpool take on Crystal Palace on Saturday. Fitness worries among the Reds’ squad push him to the forefront.
And yet, we can’t even be sure where he’ll play. Liverpool’s fitness problems cover all areas of the pitch and, as we know, Milner is the ultimate utility man.
But you can almost certainly limit the possibilities down to two. Milner will surely play either centre-midfield or left-back.
In midfield, Jordan Henderson is reportedly ill and missed both England games. He may play at the weekend if he’s recovered but he’s not the only worry.
Both Gini Wijnaldum and Fabinho played on Tuesday – the latest of any Reds. That wouldn’t normally be enough to rule them out but Liverpool’s December is remarkably hectic. Preparation for it must start now – we can’t have exhausted players starting the month as they’ll certainly finish it that way.
Then there’s Andy Robertson. The Scotland captain missed his country’s games through an ankle injury and he remains a doubt for Saturday. If he does miss the Palace game – and we think he should – then Milner is a certain replacement.
And you’ve got to balance all of this with a string of ‘must-win’ games, as we see it. Liverpool need to keep their lead intact before things get hectic but they’ve got to also keep players rested.
There’s a huge game against Napoli on the horizon, for one thing. That comes before December but Jurgen Klopp will want a near-full strength side. He’s only going to achieve that by resting against Palace.
It all means Milner is key. He’s the fresh one – no injuries and retired from internationals. He’s also the versatile one – able to cover where most needed.
For a tricky game that Liverpool must win, they’re quite dependant on him.
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