As many as nine players from both sides could sit out the game between Leeds United and Liverpool as the pressures of the festive fixture pile-up begin to mount.
Daniel Farke is sweating over the availability of several of his star players, having been forced to manage a short turnaround following Leeds’ win over Chelsea.
The Leeds boss will be hoping for a relatively clean bill of health to allow him to stick with the same team, with Peter Crouch backing Leeds to pull off a surprise win.
Arne Slot could have been Leeds manager in 2023, but now he faces the task of overcoming the raucous Elland Road atmosphere, as his side look to recover from a sluggish start to their Premier League title defence.
The away side could be without as many as four players themselves, as both sides need a win to continue their recoveries in recent weeks.
Prediction time for Leeds United v Liverpool 🔮
Leeds United injury news – Daniel Farke sweating on strikers
Having led the line with great effect, Farke will be desperate to be able to call on his new strike partnership of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.
In his press conference prior to the game, Farke admitted that Nmecha was now a doubt for the game, having picked up a hamstring problem in the win over Chelsea.
The Leeds forward required treatment during the first half, but recovered to play 67 minutes in another eye-catching display.
Fellow forward Calvert-Lewin is also a doubt for the game against Liverpool with a calf issue, but he also managed 86 minutes in Leeds’ win. Farke said he will have to decide whether Ao Tanaka, who started Leeds’ last two games, needs a rest.
Both Dan James and Sean Longstaff are long-term doubts and are expected to be out until the new year.
Liverpool have four injury doubts for Elland Road visit
Slot’s Liverpool find themselves in a similar position to Leeds, as they sweat over the fitness of four players ahead of their visit to Elland Road.
Summer signing Jeremie Frimpong is a long-term absentee and will miss the game, having injured his hamstring in October, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Fellow summer signing, Giovanni Leoni, suffered an ACL injury on his Liverpool debut and will miss the majority of the season.
As many as nine players could miss Leeds v Liverpool through injury 🚑
Who will Leeds miss the most for this crucial game?
Leeds United injuries and doubts:
- Dan James (Out – Hamstring)
- Sean Longstaff (Out – Calf)
- Lukas Nmecha (Doubt – Hamstring)
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Doubt – Calf)
- Ao Tanaka (Doubt – Fatigue)
Liverpool injuries and doubts:
- Jeremie Frimpong (Out – Hamstring)
- Giovanni Leoni (Out – ACL)
- Conor Bradley (Doubt – Muscle injury)
- Joe Gomez (Doubt – Knock)
However, Slot could welcome back Conor Bradley for the trip to West Yorkshire. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot said that Bradley is back in training and should make the squad for Leeds.
He is expected to be joined by central defender Joe Gomez, who picked up a knock against West Ham, which ruled him out of Liverpool’s midweek game against Sunderland. However, he is expected to be fit for today’s game.
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