---
title: "Liverpool: These fans were surprised to see James Milner picked ahead of Joe Gomez"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/liverpool-these-fans-were-surprised-to-see-james-milner-picked-ahead-of-joe-gomez/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "uncategorised"
published: "2019-10-24T06:04:33Z"
modified: "2019-10-24T06:05:14Z"
---

# Liverpool: These fans were surprised to see James Milner picked ahead of Joe Gomez

**The absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold [due to a virus](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/369661-jurgen-klopp-lfc-fitness-update-salah-alexander-arnold-matip) for Liverpool’s Champions League game against Genk last night left Jurgen Klopp with a decision to make as to who would start at right-back.**

\[freshpress-poll id=”255060″\]

Nathaniel Clyne [remains a long-term absentee after his pre-season cruciate ligament injury](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/07/24/liverpools-nathaniel-clyne-ruled-six-months-suffering-cruciate/), while Ki-Jana Hoever is with the [Netherlands’ squad for the Under-17 World Cup in Brazil](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/jeugd-mannen-onder-18/77059/selectie-onder-18-voor-wk-brazili%C3%AB), so there was [no natural replacement for the 21-year-old](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-liverpool/kadernachposition/verein/31).

Klopp [gave the nod to James Milner](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1426940/Live/Europe-UEFA-Champions-League-2019-2020-Genk-Liverpool), who had played at right-back for seven games in the Premier League last season and recorded three assists in that role, as per [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-milner/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/3333/saison//verein/0/liga/0/wettbewerb//trainer_id/0/pos/5). Indeed, during the game, the former Leeds and Newcastle man had the joint-second highest amount of touches (109, per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1426940/LiveStatistics/Europe-UEFA-Champions-League-2019-2020-Genk-Liverpool)) than anyone.

In the [injury-enforced absence of Joel Matip](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/369661-jurgen-klopp-lfc-fitness-update-salah-alexander-arnold-matip), Dejan Lovren was selected to [start at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1426940/Live/Europe-UEFA-Champions-League-2019-2020-Genk-Liverpool), which meant that Joe Gomez [began among the substitutes](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1426940/Live/Europe-UEFA-Champions-League-2019-2020-Genk-Liverpool) for the game in Belgium.

He was eventually called into action, [coming on for Andrew Robertson in the 63rd minute](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1426940/Live/Europe-UEFA-Champions-League-2019-2020-Genk-Liverpool), a switch that allowed Milner to move to left-back and Gomez to play on the right, as noted by the [Daily Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7606655/Liverpools-Mr-Versatile-James-Milner-starts-right-switching-left.html).

However, these Liverpool fans on Twitter were surprised to see Milner chosen ahead of Gomez at right-back prior to kick-off.

https://twitter.com/mobidee/status/1187066602388373508?s=21

> Milner at RFB while Gomez is on the bench!?!
>
> — Canuck Scouser (@Mensana88) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/Mensana88/status/1187063794641620993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Don’t know whether Milner starting at RB is good for Gomez or not. This is definitely not normal, Klopp should be expecting questions. [#LFC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
>
> — ABHI (@SociallySober) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/SociallySober/status/1187062435254947841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> What happened to Gomez?
>
> — Ashley Dhora (@ashley84dhora) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/ashley84dhora/status/1187062657007980545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> I have 1 complaint about that line up. Why Milner over Gomez?
>
> — Sam Ward (@sambadude) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/sambadude/status/1187061880956817409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Milner over Gomez at RB is a bit of a puzzler.
>
> — Ronan Maguire (@ronan\_maguire81) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/ronan_maguire81/status/1187068993103941633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> I love Milner but he shouldn't be playing at right back ahead of Gomez, the rest of the side is boss though, look forward to seeing this midfield [#LFC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
>
> — Mike Appo (@MikeAppo) [October 23, 2019](https://twitter.com/MikeAppo/status/1187067818338127878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

***Do you think Gomez should have started at right-back ahead of Milner or was Klopp’s decision justified? Have your say by commenting below!***