Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has now revealed James Milner will not be available for the Reds’ Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Taking to his pre-match press conference, the German boss revealed the 36-year-old is currently undergoing concussion protocol.
As a result, the midfielder is expected to return to full training on Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup match against Derby County and Saturday’s top-flight fixture against Southampton.
James Milner unavailable to face Tottenham
Despite his age, Milner has played a huge role in Klopp’s XI this season. In the Premier League, the 36-year-old has made 11 appearances, also impressively featuring in all six of the side’s Champions League group games.
Currently sitting on 599 top-flight appearances, the £120,000-a-week man is expected to join an exclusive club of three others, those being Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and Ryan Giggs, who have played 600 Premier League games.
This milestone was expected to be reached on Sunday when Liverpool play Spurs, but this is now out of the question.
With Jordan Henderson back available for the weekend, the club captain is likely to start alongside Thiago and Fabinho in the middle of the park, as the side set out to win an all-important three-points.
Whilst Milner’s experience may have come in handy facing Tottenham’s physical midfield, the 36-year-old should not be playing every game anyway, so maybe his absence will come as a much-welcomed break, as a time to recharge ahead of next week’s fixtures.
Either way, the Reds need to become less reliant on the former Manchester City man, as he is set to be out of contract at the end of the season.
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