Whenever Liverpool and Brighton get together, it’s a chance to see a James Milner reunion. The 39-year-old English midfielder scored 19 goals in 230 appearances for the Merseyside club, but he’s only featured three times this season for the Seagulls. And he’s only made 18 appearances in total for the club, since moving over in 2023.
Milner is recovering from a thigh injury right now, and his status for Monday night is doubtful; very doubtful.
Liverpool FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion FYIs
Kick-off: 8pm (BST), Monday, May 19, Falmer Stadium, Falmer, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, UK
Preview Material: Liverpool Starting Lineup Prediction
Google Result Probability: Brighton 37% Draw 25% Liverpool 38%
Premier League Standing: Liverpool FC Champions, Brighton 9th, 55 pts
Team News for Both Sides
“James is doing rehab on the pitch, so he’s getting closer,” Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said of Milner yesterday, at his weekly Friday news conference.
“I’m not sure if we’ll see him this season, but it’s a nice process that he’s going through.”
Maybe Milner won’t feature, but both Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman are fully fit, and available, with Hurzeler confirming yesterday:
“Lewis will be back in the squad. Joel (Veltman) will be back in the squad. They are all very positive news…”
The news is not as good for Georginio Rutter though, as his ankle/foot injury rules him out this week. Hurzeler said: “Georginio is also very close, so hopefully, he will be back next with the team. There’s a small chance that he can be an option for the last game.”
Nothing new with Liverpool, Joe Gomez remains the only injury absentee, and there is no change in his status.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter