Manchester United’s first fixture of 2026 sees the Reds travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been almost three years since our last competitive meeting with the Whites, as we ran out 2-0 winners in February 2023, following goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Ruben Amorim’s side will be aiming to build on a disappointing draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night and start the year as we mean to go on.
Here’s everything you need to know, ahead of the fixture...
HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW
Kick-off is at 12:30 GMT on Sunday 4 January and the match is being shown live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
As per usual, you can follow all the key news and action via MUTV, the United app, and ManUtd.com, including arrivals, line-ups, match updates, in-game stats and full-time reaction.
Liam Bradford and Danny Webber will be your commentators, with Ben Thornley our guest at Elland Road and Phil Bardsley and Quinton Fortune providing their thoughts from the Old Trafford studio.
Highlights of the match will be available from midnight, while the full match replay will also be ready then for MUTV subscribers to watch.
TEAM NEWS
The Reds are set to be without captain Bruno Fernandes again, as he is still recovering from the hamstring issue he picked up against Aston Villa.
Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount have also missed recent games through injury, and Amorim suggested in his pre-match press conference that he doesn’t expect any of them to return.
We will still be without Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui as they continue their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu will serve a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season for a handball against Liverpool on New Year’s Day.
Fellow Wales international Joe Rodon will also be missing from the backline after he suffered an ankle injury in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland just after Christmas.
Daniel James is still recovering from his injury and therefore is unlikely to feature against his former side.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke hope Sebastiaan Bornauw and Ilia Gruev will be fit to start after they were both withdrawn from the game at Anfield due to “cramps”
.
FORM GUIDE
This will be our first match of five in January, a month which sees us in FA Cup third-round action as we host Brighton & Hove Albion next Sunday.
Joshua Zirkzee’s goal against Wolves last time out was cancelled out when Ladislav Krejci headed home just before half-time.
Prior to this, an impressive performance saw us defeat Newcastle United 1-0 at Old Trafford as Patrick Dorgu bagged his first goal in United colours.
Leeds, however, are unbeaten in six matches, since they lost 3-2 against Manchester City on 29 November.
A strong performance at the Etihad Stadium gave confidence to the newly promoted side who then stunned Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road, before successive draws against Liverpool and Brentford.
An impressive 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace was then followed by a further two draws against Sunderland and Liverpool. The Whites did manage a draw on their last visit to Old Trafford in February 2023, despite a two-goal comeback from the Reds.
DID YOU KNOW?
Manchester United are unbeaten in our last 25 Premier League games against newly promoted sides, since a 4-1 loss at Watford in November 2021.
However, the Reds have never beaten Leeds when facing them in our first league game of a calendar year, drawing 0-0 in 1931, 1-1 in 1958, 0-0 in 1994, and losing 2-1 in 1969.
The Reds will hope to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has scored in each of his last three Premier League home games. He’s never scored in four consecutive matches before, while the last Leeds player to do so was Mark Viduka in April 2004.
Thanks to Opta for the stats.
RIVALS WATCH
SATURDAY 3 JANUARY 2026
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest (12:30 GMT)
Brighton v Burnley
Wolves v West Ham
Bournemouth v Arsenal (17:30 GMT)
SUNDAY 4 JANUARY 2026
Leeds v UNITED (12:30 GMT)
Everton v Brentford
Fulham v Liverpool
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Sunderland
Manchester City v Chelsea (17:30 GMT)
All kick-offs at 15:00 GMT, unless stated.