MatchFulham v Liverpool: Team news
Joe Gomez may be in contention to return for Liverpool at Fulham.
A muscle injury caused the defender to miss the Reds’ last three matches but Arne Slot was hopeful of welcoming him back to training on Friday.
Wataru Endo, however, is not yet ready due to the ankle issue he sustained in early December.
After Liverpool’s goalless draw with Leeds United at Anfield on Thursday night, Slot reported: “I expect Joe to train with us [on Friday] and Wata not yet.”
The Reds travel to Craven Cottage for their first away game of 2026 in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Sunday.
Slot went on to state he has no fresh injury concerns following the stalemate with Leeds and explained why he substituted Florian Wirtz in the second half on New Year’s Day.
The head coach continued: “Again, I think to see we had four players on the bench that haven’t played any minutes in the Premier League and these players just keep going with so many games to go.
“So, if anyone was like, ‘Why does he take Florian off?’ for example, two days after the [Wolverhampton Wanderers] game he felt his hamstring still too much. That’s why he couldn’t train, he only trained [on Wednesday].
“With all games coming up, for me it was too much of a risk if you don’t have so many players available with Premier League experience – and, of course, Cody [Gakpo] is a good replacement to bring in.
“These are all the things I, we have to take into account to keep players available with at least some Premier League experience for the schedule we are going in – and not only going in, we have already had now two months of non-stop football and most of them [even] six or seven months of non-stop playing football.
“Everyone stayed fit [against Leeds], positive. A clean sheet. If I have to take something positive from the game then [it is] those two things – and Ibou [Konate] didn’t get a yellow so he is not suspended.”
Mohamed Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni are long-term absentees.
Fulham are set to be without Josh King and Kenny Tete.
Their head coach, Marco Silva, told the Cottagers’ official website on Friday: “We keep assessing them but if I have to answer now we have big possibilities for them to be out of the game.”
Silva also confirmed the meeting with Liverpool comes too soon for Ryan Sessegnon, while Rodrigo Muniz is sidelined due to injury too.
Like Salah, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi are on international duty at AFCON.
On the test awaiting his side, Silva said: “We recognise the quality they have, that is why they were champions and they started so, so well the season.
“The reaction, the results, they have been better [recently] and of course they expected to win the last game but the Premier League is very tough and of course Leeds played their part and did it well.
“Of course now it’s going to be a new game, a new story as well, [and] a short period between both games for both teams.”
Last match
Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham (January 1): Leno, Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Smith Rowe, Wilson, Kevin, Jimenez.
Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United (Janaury 1): Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Wirtz, Ekitike.