---
title: "Liverpool: Many fans worried about the prospect of James Milner starting at left-back against Crystal Palace"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-many-fans-worried-about-the-prospect-of-james-milner-starting-at-left-back-against-crystal-palace/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Liverpool Football Club"
published: "2019-11-21T22:00:04Z"
modified: "2019-11-21T22:00:04Z"
---

# Liverpool: Many fans worried about the prospect of James Milner starting at left-back against Crystal Palace

**Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson is set to miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, having failed to shake off an ankle injury over the international break, as per [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11865719/mohamed-salah-and-andrew-robertson-set-to-miss-liverpools-trip-to-crystal-palace).**

With the Scotland international almost certain to miss the game in London, the [lack of a natural left-back replacement in the Reds’ first-team squad](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-liverpool/kadernachposition/verein/31) could see James Milner take up the role.

The 33-year-old midfielder deputised for Robertson in that position in the Champions League win at home to Genk earlier this month, while also playing there in Liverpool’s last two Carabao Cup games. \[[via TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-milner/leistungsdaten/spieler/3333)\]

However, when he [lined up at right-back](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3050381) in the Reds’ 4-3 win against the Eagles in January, he was sent off for two mistimed challenges on Wilfried Zaha (as per [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46847684)), who gave the Liverpool veteran ‘a torrid afternoon’ in the words of [This Is Anfield](https://www.thisisanfield.com/2019/01/liverpool-4-3-crystal-palace-player-ratings/)‘s Henry Jackson, having been [beaten by the Ivorian in the lead-up to Andros Townsend’s goal](https://www.thisisanfield.com/2019/01/liverpool-4-3-crystal-palace-player-ratings/) in that game.

These Liverpool fans on Twitter are fearful of the prospect of Milner being run similarly ragged by Crystal Palace’s wingers if he lines up at left-back on Saturday:

https://twitter.com/hskr135/status/1197235877610696705

> Milner might struggle to contain Zaha due to his pace.\
> It’ll be best we play Gomez as LB.\
> Mane is used to playing on the left so he should be left untouched.\
> We need a left footer to balance up the front 3 so Shaqiri should be a direct plugin as RW.
>
> — SgBloodRed (@SgBloodRed) [November 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/SgBloodRed/status/1197276421502033921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Milner vs Saha😱 I’d rather play gomez at LB
>
> — Halamadouhou (@Halamadouhou) [November 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/Halamadouhou/status/1197186114815172610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/kikihillario/status/1197192037902307329

https://twitter.com/dylan\_oates8/status/1197207877355757574

> Milner is too slow so Gomez if fit as LB and origi up front
>
> — . (@lfc5reds) [November 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/lfc5reds/status/1197192349786542081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/LFCJ\_\_/status/1197175116993617926

\[freshpress-poll id=”261328″\]

***Do you think Milner is a dependable left-back option for the trip to Crystal Palace this weekend? Join in the discussion by commenting below!***