Leeds United will start 2026 with a New Year’s Day trip to Liverpool but seven men have been ruled out of the contest for which three more are doubtful.
The Reds and Whites will meet for the second time in the space of four weeks in a 5.30pm kick-off on Thursday on the first day of 2026.
The two sides shared a thrilling 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture at Elland Road at the start of the month but both sides have suffered injury blows to key players since.
Added to pre-existing longer term injuries, it’s led to a long list of seven out and three doubts across both sides.
Here, we run through the early injury and team news from both camps which also includes five more returning.
1. BACK: Cody Gakpo
Reds attacker Gakpo proved a bit of a handful in the first half of the 3-3 draw at Elland Road despite not scoring but the Dutchman suffered a muscular injury in the contest which saw him miss his side's next two games. Gakpo, though, made a quick return for the weekend's hosting of Wolves, coming off the bench with four minutes left. | Danny Lawson/PA Wire
2. BACK: Dominik Szoboszlai
Versatile Reds midfielder Szoboszlai scored what looked like being the winner in the reverse fixture at Elland Road only for Ao Tanaka to then bag a 90th-minute equaliser. The Hungarian star was then suspended for Saturday's hosting of Wolves having picked up a fifth booking of the season in the 2-1 win at Tottenham but Szoboszlai is now back available for Thursday's visit of the Whites. | AFP via Getty Images
3. BACK: Conor Bradley
Liverpool's Northern Ireland international right-back Bradley returned from a three-match absence with a hamstring injury to start the 3-3 draw at Leeds but a fifth booking of the season at Elland Road earned him a one-match ban for the hosting of Brighton that followed. Bradley, though, then started in the 2-1 win at Tottenham and came off the bench in Saturday's 2-1 win at home to Wolves. | Getty Images
4. BACK: Jeremie Frimpong
Liverpool's £29.5m summer signing Frimpong returned from a two-month absence with a hamstring injury from the bench as a second-half substitute in the 2-1 win at Tottenham in the last game before Christmas and was then handed just his second Reds league start in the weekend's win against Brighton in which the right back impressed. A huge boost for the Reds. | Getty Images
.jpg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
5. BACK: Lukas Nmecha
Whites striker Nmecha returned from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury in Sunday's clash at Sunderland in which he was brought on for Noah Okafor with 17 minutes left. The German attacker looked sharp and his return is a big boost for Daniel Farke's Whites. | Mike Egerton/PA Wire
6. OUT: Mo Salah (AFCON)
One of two huge names definitely out for the Reds, Salah representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. | Getty Images