Injured Everton captain Finnigan out until 2026

Megan Finnigan suffered her knee injury against Tottenham in an FA Cup fixture in January 2025

Everton club captain Megan Finnigan will not return until 2026 because she requires an operation to help repair her anterior cruciate knee ligament (ACL) injury.

The 27-year-old centre-back suffered the knee issue in January and Everton manager Brian Sorensen has confirmed she will not be in contention until after the Women's Super League (WSL) resumes on 10 January following its winter break.

Finnigan's news adds to the injury crisis at Everton, with five senior players now out.

Three of those - goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, striker Aurora Galli and defender Rion Ishikawa - also have knee injuries.

Midfielder Katja Snoeijs suffered a hamstring injury in training and will miss Sunday's home league game against Manchester United, but striker Kelly Gago returns following concussion.

Everton's injury issues saw them recall defender Issy Hobson from her loan spell at WSL2 side Nottingham Forest last week, while goalkeeper Katie Startup has arrived on an emergency loan from Manchester City.

Women make Hill Dickinson bow

The game against Manchester United will be the first played by the Everton women's team at the club's new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The 52,000-seat arena on Bramley-Moore Dock was opened in the summer and is the regular home of the men's team.

Everton women have moved into Goodison Park, the previous men's stadium, but this weekend will play at Hill Dickinson while the Premier League breaks for international fixtures.

A club source told BBC Sport that currently only the lower tier of seating, with a capacity of around 20,000, will be open at Hill Dickinson. However, there is scope to open other areas of the stadium if there is high enough demand for tickets.

The record attendance for an Everton women's match is 22,161, who attended a WSL game against Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park in March 2023.

"I think it is going to be a very good atmosphere. We are going to go out there and put everything on the line," Sorensen said.

"United are the best we have seen in the past couple of years since I have been here. We are going to go in and enjoy it in a big stadium. From what I hear, it is a big crowd. We are all excited for it."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed