In the second installment of his weekly Liverpool column, John Aldridge talks about Thiago’s future and the upcoming match against Aston Villa.

We need to make crucial choices this summer as we get ready for a midfield shuffle.

Although our other injured Spaniard’s recovery from his injury may not be as certain, Liverpool still has Stefan Bajcetic for next season. I’m unsure if Thiago will stay given Trent’s new midfield roles and the possibility of two or three additions during the transfer window.

He is getting older and has only participated in about half of our games again. The way our club operates requires us to find some way to bring in cash, so Klopp might try to move him on to make room for someone younger. Even though Thiago is excellent, you still need young, mobile players who are always in shape. We may be about to save £100 million this summer thanks to Curtis Jones and Trent, but we still require top-two midfielders.

Jones and Trent might have a bright future, but James Milner and Roberto Firmino seem to be nearing the end of their respective eight-year contracts. As they take to the Anfield pitch for what may be the final time, Saturday afternoon promises to be a difficult day.

There are only positive things to say about the two of them. It’s amazing what they’ve done for us. I just want to wish Firmino luck because his style is so different from any other forward I have seen. The greatest free agent signing in Liverpool’s history, however, is James Milner. Milner has been incredible, but Gary McAllister was excellent.

I doubt that anyone is aware of Milner’s contributions to the locker room or even close to recognizing them, let alone on the field. He is a model employee and still has a lot to give. James is more than capable of doing it because he is a freak of nature. I played until I was almost 40 years old. Liverpool won’t be able to replace the qualities Milner brings to this team, regardless of who they sign this summer.