Early Liverpool vs Man United injury news as 7 players set to miss first clash of 2025

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An early roundup of Liverpool and Manchester United’s fitness news ahead of their meeting at Anfield.

Liverpool will enter their first game of 2025 flying high at the top of the Premier League, with the title firmly in sight. However, it will be a very different occasion for their opponents.

Manchester United have a lot of ground to make up to avoid another disastrous end to their campaign. After recording their worst ever Premier League finish last season, the Red Devils are currently down in 14th with just six wins under their belt.

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New manager Rúben Amorim has even addressed the likelihood of United being relegated. In an honest interview following his side’s latest defeat to Newcastle United, Amorim said of a drop zone threat: “I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans.

“It is also my fault. The team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment and it is a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and lose a lot of games. I think people are tired of excuses at this club. This club needs a shock.”

The new year clash between these two rivals will bring the noise as usual, with a lot riding on both sides’ performances. Here’s a run through of the latest injury and absence news for both Liverpool and United ahead of January 5th.

Liverpool injury news

The Reds will be without Joe Gomez for an unspecified amount of time after he was forced off the pitch against West Ham with a hamstring issue. Arne Slot confirmed that the centre-back ‘will be out for a quite a bit’ but no return date has been specified just yet.

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The Gomez news comes at a difficult time for Liverpool, as he has been filling in for the injured Ibrahima Konaté. The Frenchman has been out since November and Slot ruled him out of the West Ham clash. However, he did offer a glimmer of positivity, suggesting he could be ‘closer’ to returning soon.

Conor Bradley is facing a similar timeline for his return. Ahead of the visit to the London Stadium, Slot said of both Konaté and Bradley: “It’s difficult for me to tell you at this moment because they don’t train with the group yet, but hopefully in the upcoming days they come closer to that situation.” The duo could potentially return in January if things go to plan.

Slot also recently provided an update on Federico Chiesa, who has made just one Premier League appearance since joining Liverpool. He featured on the bench against Leicester City but was dropped again for the West Ham clash.

“With Federico I’ve said it many times already, we are working on two things,” Slot said after the latest win. “We are working on his match fitness and whenever we can, we try to bring him on the bench with the team.”

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Man United injury news

Amorim will be without several first team players for their visit to Anfield but he has the boost of the returning Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte. Both players missed the Newcastle clash through one-match suspensions after picking up a red card and five yellow cards respectively.

However, the players who will miss the match include Mason Mount, who has no confirmed return date from his hamstring injury. Earlier this month, Amorim quoted a ‘several week’ absence for the former Chelsea man.

Victor Lindelof will also miss the clash and similarly has no set date for his return. Amorim recently told MUTV that the defender ‘has something’ the club needs to assess before they can specifically confirm the nature of his injury.

Fitness issues continue to plague Luke Shaw’s career and a new setback will keep him out for another unspecified period of time. After returning to training, the defender confirmed on social media that he had suffered a ‘small setback’ in his recovery.

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“I've been through a lot, but this has definitely been my toughest period. I'm absolutely devastated, and it's extremely tough to come to terms with reality at this moment in time,” Shaw said at the start of the month. He has featured just three times in all competitions this season.

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