Giovanni Leoni suffers torn ACL – season now over

Giovanni Leoni suffers torn ACL – season now over

Giovanni Leoni reportedly sustained a torn ACL during his debut against Southampton, with the defender now expected to miss the rest of the season.

The 18-year-old was quick to catch the eye in his first appearance for Liverpool on Tuesday, but his night was cut short after an awkward collision on the touchline.

His discomfort was immediately obvious, and Fabrizio Romano, who will have close contact with the player’s representatives, has now reported that the Italian has torn his ACL, which has a typical recovery timeline of nine to 12 months.

It is as unlucky as it is unfortunate for Liverpool and Leoni, who had displayed his calmness and ability to lead the backline before his injury in the 80th minute.

Leoni’s absence leaves Liverpool a centre-back short, and any frustrations over the collapsed move for Marc Guehi in the summer will likely resurface.

For context, Virgil van Dijk returned to playing after nine months following his ACL tear in 2020, but no player’s recovery is the same.

Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are now the only recognised senior centre-backs in Slot’s ranks, though Rhys Williams could now make the unlikeliest of returns following his place on the bench against Southampton.

The long-term injury to Leoni also has a knock-on effect on Liverpool’s Champions League squad, with the club now able to replace the defender under the competition’s new rules.

UEFA announced an alteration to their rules earlier this month that means players can be replaced in the event of a long-term injury or illness, which could see Federico Chiesa benefit.

They are not like-for-like, clearly, but there is an opening to be filled and Liverpool’s No. 14 was unfortunate to miss out in the first place to Rio Ngumoha.

What has Arne Slot said

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Slot was far from optimistic on Leoni’s prognosis after the 2-1 win against Southampton, with the Dutchman signalling the defender’s emotions for what Liverpool could expect.

“Of course he’s down. He’s down because for him, it didn’t feel good immediately,” Slot told reporters. “But this is something we now have to assess.

“And normally, these things don’t happen in five to 10 minutes. 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.

“But 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 the day later, it proved to be that he was right, but let’s hope for the best.”