Giovanni Leoni Injury Update: Latest Details, Recovery Timeline and Impact on Team

Liverpool’s new defender, Giovanni Leoni, suffered an injury in his debut for the Reds in the Carabao Cup. The 18-year-old summer signing from Parma was stretchered off, raising concerns over his recovery and the club's defensive options.

Giovanni Leoni Injury Details

The new Liverpool teenage recruit Giovanni Leoni was stretchered off during his debut in the Merseyside club's Carabao Cup victory against Southampton. The injury occurred in the 81st minute after the 18-year-old Italian defender landed awkwardly following a challenge on the touchline. As he was being taken off the field, he was visibly distraught and appeared to be in considerable pain. Liverpool Manager Arne Slot has expressed deep concerns, reporting that "it didn't feel good immediately" for the player and that how a player is feeling often says a lot about how bad an injury is. To properly evaluate the severity of the injury, he is expected to undergo an MRI.

How Giovanni Leoni Injury Affects Liverpool

Leoni's injury will not directly effect the starting XI of Slot but it will be a huge blow for their depth in the defence, considering a long season that still awaits. The injury leaves the reds with a shortage of center-backs. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez are Liverpool's only three senior central defenders after Jarell Quansah moved for Bayer Leverkusen and Marc Guehi's deadline-day trade fell through.

Leoni's injury will likely force manager Arne Slot to rely heavily on these three players and could potentially impact the club's defensive depth across multiple competitions. The Italy Under-19s centre-back signed a contract for English side until 2031 for a fee of 26 million pounds plus add ons.

When Will Giovanni Leoni Return?

A definitive timeline for Giovanni Leoni's return is currently unknown. Speaking about the defender at the post-match press conference, Arne Slot said, “Normally these things don’t happen in five to 10 minutes and you have to wait for tomorrow to see how he comes in and then maybe do an MRI scan to know more about how serious it is.” The outcome of the MRI and the complete diagnosis of the injury will determine when he can return.

Long-term absence is very likely if the injury involves an ACL tear. The club is currently "hoping for the best" while it awaits the outcome of the medical evaluation. We anticipate updates in the days ahead.