Kop target Milner has no Pelle promise

MANUEL PELLEGRINI has warned James Milner that he can’t be guaranteed more first- team football in his stand-off with Man City.

The in- form England midfielder is out of contract this summer and has been linked with a move to Liverpool – where the defending champions visit this lunchtime.

The City boss insists he has no problem picking Milner today, but with the player wanting a promise of more regular football, Pellegrini says he will be disappointed.

The Blues boss said: “I’ll choose the starting 11 from the players who I think are in their best moment.

“I’m not thinking about what might happen with him next year.

“You know Milner is a great professional and he’s a player who always gives 100 per cent of what he can in every game.

“The decision of his future is his decision and I don’t have any worry about that.

“Nobody has the guarantee that you will play when you come to a big team and you have high competition, but I think that James has played a lot this year.”

Brendan Rodgers says his players are mentally tough enough to shrug off their tiredness.

Gruelling

The Reds went out of the Europa League on penalties to Besiktas and had a gruelling trip from Istanbul which saw them return in the early hours of Friday morning.

Manager Rodgers has had little time to prepare for the game against City, but insists his stars have a strong mindset for the task. He said: “There has been very little training between the games because they have to play, recover and then play again.

“You don’t need to be a sports scientist to work out that if you arrive back at 4.30am on Friday morning and you have got a game early on the Sunday, physically there is going to be a cost.

“But mentally they are in a good state and we’ll look forward to the game.

“It was an outstanding game against Man City last season. We could have been three or four up at half- time. We will relish it.”

The Reds are boosted by the return of Philippe Coutinho – rested for the Turkey trip – while Jordan Henderson will have a late fitness test.