James Milner should be given a chance in Yaya Toure's absence

Milner is a player of many talents

Manchester City fans must have surely felt a sense of anguish when their star player and top scorer Yaya Toure was hauled off with a hamstring injury during the 3-2 loss to fellow title hopefuls Liverpool. The Ivorian powerhouse has fired 18 goals for the Citizens and is without doubt their most important player.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini recently confirmed that the midfielder will be on the sidelines for at least two weeks which means he will miss the games against Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace. While this news may feel like the end of days for some fans they shouldn’t worry as City have a player who is more than capable of having an impact in the centre of the park. That player wears the number 7 for City and goes by the name James Milner.

The 2010 PFA Young Player Of the Year is a player of special talents who isn’t given the credit he deserves. Milner was highly rated by the England youth coaches and made a record 46 appearances for the England Under-21’s. The England international is an extremely versatile player and can operate in a number of positions including central midfielder, right-back and on both sides of the wings.

I feel Milner, who included in the PFA Team of the Year 2009-2010, was criticized a bit too much after his unimpressive performance for the Three Lions in the 2010 World Cup. People were expecting a lot from him after he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year Award but perhaps the pressure unsettled the player. Milner shouldn’t have been singled out for criticism as the whole Three Lions squad underperformed in the tournament.

Manchester City fans often see him as unworthy of being in their team’s squad due to his low goal returns but fail to notice his other qualities. It’s true Milner is not as prolific as Toure or as graceful as Silva but is ever willing to play for the team and is always consistent which make him an asset. Former City manager Roberto Mancini was impressed Milner’s work ethic and often included him in the starting line up. In fact he was involved in two of the goals in City’s memorable 6-1 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United in City’s 2011-2012 season.

This season Milner has been mostly used as a substitute by new City manager Manuel Pellegrini but has put in some brilliant performances like the one against Bayern Munich in the Champions League where he provided the cross for Silva’s goal, won a penalty and then topped off his performance with a stunning goal which unfortunately couldn’t prevent City’s exit from the competition.

Milner changed the game when he was brought on in the recent defeat against Liverpool and was once again involved in Silva’s goal and even helped in the build up for the second. The midfielder is not just an impact sub he is much more than that. Milner is ever willing to drop back and perform defensive duties for his team. The midfielder has made 20 substitute appearances but still manages to average at least 0.8 tackles per game. Stats have shown that Yaya Toure has been neglecting his defensive duties in favour of a more attacking approach to his game.

The 28-year-old is a threat in the air and can help City keep possession as he excels at holding on to the ball. Milner has managed to complete 85.8% of his passes in the Premier League this season and has averaged at least 0.9 key passes per game which highlights his importance on the field. Pellegrini has used Milner in a central position just once this season and has mostly used him on the wings but should be shifted to the centre once more as his strength can come in extremely handy.

Let’s hope Manuel Pellegrini takes heart and gives this underrated but brilliant midfielder the game time he deserves.