Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking about Liverpool’s right-back position after Trent Alexander-Arnold was ruled out of the game against Manchester City.
Klopp has quite a big decision to make at right-back with Alexander-Arnold out of action.
Klopp has often turned to James Milner to solve any selection problems at right-back, but the German has now admitted that Milner doesn’t like playing there, despite being used there twice so far this term.
What’s been said?
Klopp spoke about Milner and his versatility.
“I’m not sure James knows already all the positions he can play. He doesn’t like the position, but he plays it really exceptionally well because he’s a smart footballer and he likes to be involved in the game,” Klopp said.
“That’s why he always thought he had to play in the middle of the park, but with the way we play, the right-back is quite influential, has quite a lot of possession, opportunities to be influential in the game and stuff like this, so in the moment I think he thinks it’s OK to play there.
“We didn’t make the decision yet, but if he plays there – or he is used to play there, like in the last few games – he did really well, that’s true. He is just a very important part of the squad, not only if he plays – when he plays as well, but in the dressing room he is an incredibly influential player.”
Consummate professional
Milner may not like playing right-back all that much, but you can be sure that he’ll do a stellar job if he’s asked to play there.
The former Manchester City man may prefer to play in the midfield, but these days, his best attributes are his versatility and his professionalism.
The 35-year-old may start at right-back against his former club this weekend, and while he may be yearning to play in a more advanced role, there’s no way he’ll allow his standards to drop if he’s used in the defence.
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