Key quotes from Skinner's press conference

A calf injury has prevented George from playing so far in 2026, while Rolfo has also been sidelined for United’s last three matches.

Their involvement on the training pitch is an encouraging sign ahead of the weekend’s fixture, against a Liverpool team buoyed by a first win of the WSL season last weekend.

There is no return date for fellow recent absentee Leah Galton yet, according to the boss, and while Ella Toone is progressing nicely in her bid to return to action, Marc has also ruled the midfielder out of the meeting with the Merseysiders.

Keep scrolling for the full update and more key quotes from Skinner’s pre-match press conference, where he also answered questions on the six January signings our upcoming opponents have made and the potential for any further activity before our own positive transfer window concludes with Tuesday's deadline...

LATEST TEAM NEWS

“So, Leah will still be out. No return date yet with her, she's still working along with her back issue. Tooney's still out, working along nicely. Gabby's been training this week with the team, so hopefully could appear on the bench should she get through the next day or two. And then Frido's back training as well. So apart from that, everyone else is available.”

LIVERPOOL’S BUSY TRANSFER WINDOW

“This is a totally different team [to before Christmas]. I think what Gaz [Gareth Taylor, head coach] wanted to add was mobility in his frontline, to be able to press. You could see against Tottenham they were pressing all over the place. I think that is probably the identity he wants and has wanted from the start. I think that you could see the players were galvanised by those signings and look, it'll be a tough challenge. They’re aggressive with the press and I still think there are ways that you can hurt them, and we've got to zone in on those. But yeah, they're a totally different team and I expect that full energy coming at us on the weekend.”

ANY MORE WINTER BUSINESS HERE?

“Obviously we're still looking, even if it's now or the summer window, we'll continue to try and develop the squad. But right now, there's nobody that's imminent and I'm really happy with the work that we've done as a collective in this window. But we're still working, as I say, towards summer targets as well. So, unless there's a miracle, probably not in this moment.”

CLEAN SHEETS WIN TITLES AND TROPHIES

“We were a bit gutted it wasn't four [clean sheets for January] against Villa. We felt that was a mistake from us really as a team, allowing them to get that chance. But we pride ourselves on that. There's been a lot in the press recently, I've been watching it, it's quite interesting around coaches taking away creativity for defensive structure, and I don't think that's the case. I just think the game is becoming more physical. So, we still try and create that. You see for Jess Park's goal, there's creation in perfect fluid movement. So, for us, I just think it's about being structured because teams can hurt you now. Liverpool at the weekend can score goals. What I'd like to see is that continued structure, it gives us that platform to build from, it gives you stability and that's what clean sheets do for you. Clean sheets can win you titles and win you trophies. For us, I think it's a mainstay, but it won't take away from the creativity we give the players.”

RACE FOR EUROPEAN SPOTS

“To be in that pack and into the European knockout rounds and into a League Cup final, I think just shows the growth we've had. I welcome the challenge of that. We're playing against the European champions [Arsenal], we're playing against Chelsea, who've won the league so many times on a consistent basis, and we're still fighting. And I'm really happy with where the team are at. Even the start of this year, I think they've come back in a really good space. I just think it's exciting. The league, I think you can see that actually it's really competitive.”

RIVALRY WITH LIVERPOOL

“I think it piques interest, doesn't it? So, we need them [rivalries]. I think Liverpool right now, with the transition they're having, they will want to get themselves back to a space where [they are challenging for the title]. They are a historic team, one of only four that have won the league. So, they want to get back to those glory days. Right now, it's [the rivalry] probably not as strong as it is in the men's game, but it will build, the longer we play each other, the more encounters you have, it will build. But I think both teams take it seriously like that, even though it's men's and women's football separately. It's a slightly different rivalry, but it's a local rivalry and I think both teams take it that seriously.”

TERLAND HAS INCREDIBLE FINISHING ABILITY

“Teri always has this ability to finish. I've said this many times, but more than I've ever seen anybody, like of all the people I've worked with, she has an incredible finishing ability. The one thing we haven't been able to do was, in that second part of the season last year, was feed Teri in the spaces she likes to score goals, which is in and around the penalty area. So, we've now got Ellen [Wangerheim], we've now got Mel [Malard], we've now got Lea [Schuller] who can stretch lines, and all of a sudden now it allows defenders to push off, create space, and now we can feed her in really dangerous areas rather than pass it from Maya [Le Tissier] or Dom [Janssen], for example. So, we're trying to feed her in different ways. Same with Lea Schuller, because she has the ability again in the box to be incredible.”