James Milner v Marco van Ginkel
The on loan Chelsea midfielder will be keen to make an impression, and is expected to start alongside Glen Whelan in a midfield double pivot. The young Dutchman has struggled since his move to the Blues, failing on loan at AC Milan after a lengthy injury, and it’ll be our experienced summer signing’s job to get on top of him early on. Milner has the industry and work-rate to out battle van Ginkel – who could struggle if Milner and Henderson press him relentlessly. It’s not yet clear if we’ll have an anchoring midfielder supporting our pair, or if Coutinho will join them in a slightly more advanced role. If Rodgers takes the risk to select Coutinho at no.10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Milner will need to be disciplined and limit his forward runs, in order to stop van Ginkel, Whelan and Adam controlling the centre of the park.
