Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton.
The 18-year-old Italian was signed from Parma in the summer transfer window and made his full debut as Liverpool beat the Saints 2-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Highly rated in Serie A, Leoni lived up to his billing, producing an assured performance as he played his first competitive minutes in Liverpool red.
But his debut was cut short in the second half, as he left the pitch on a stretcher having landed awkwardly after a challenge. He is now set to spend several months on the sidelines.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reports Leoni has torn his ACL, meaning he will likely require surgery and a recovery period of at least six months.
It is a crushing blow for the youngster, who had made a promising start to his Liverpool career and will now be lucky to return to the pitch this season.
The news is frustrating for Liverpool, too, who are thin at centre-back after failing in a bid to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi on Deadline Day.
Leoni was visibly emotional immediately after the tackle, with head coach Arne Slot saying he immediately knew there was a serious problem.
Speaking after the match, he said of Leoni: "Of course, he is down because for him it didn’t feel good immediately, but this is something now we have to assess.
"Normally the emotions of a player tell you a lot. I saw during the weekend a player in the Dutch Eredivisie who went out completely in tears - Ruben van Bommel, by the way, of PSV - and a day later it proved to be that it was right.
"Let’s hope for the best."
