Leoni Injured as Liverpool Edge Southampton in League Cup Clash
Liverpool manager Arne Slot took the opportunity to rotate his squad for the League Cup tie against Southampton, making several changes to his starting XI. The Reds came away with a narrow 2-1 win, but the night wasn’t without setbacks. Defender Giovanni Leoni, making his debut for the club, suffered a concerning injury in the 81st minute and had to be substituted. Post-match, an injury analyst offered insight into the potential severity of the issue.
Alexander Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool, while Southampton’s Shea Charles equalised in the 76th minute to give Will Still’s Championship side hope. However, substitute Hugo Ekitike restored Liverpool’s lead less than ten minutes later with the decisive goal. His celebration – removing his shirt – earned him a red card.
Leoni, a £26 million summer signing from Parma, was one of several less-established players in Slot’s line-up. The 18-year-old centre-back impressed with six clearances, three interceptions, and a composed performance under pressure before being replaced by Milos Kerkez following his injury.
Journalist Adam Summerton, familiar with Leoni through his coverage of Italian football, praised the youngster on social media, saying: “I’ve just seen Leoni described as ‘The Italian Alan Hansen’. Early days, but great to see him making a strong start – he’s very talented.”
An injury expert also weighed in online, expressing concern about Leoni’s knee. Based on limited footage, they observed his knee appeared to fall into a valgus (inward) position – often a sign of serious ligament damage. The expert noted the non-contact nature of the incident and suspected a possible ACL tear, though admitted a lack of clear replay makes it hard to confirm.
Estimated Recovery Times:
ACL tear: 9+ months
Meniscus damage: Approximately 3–4 months
Bone bruise: Less severe, shorter timeline
The club’s medical staff were seen preparing Leoni for a Lachman’s test – commonly used to assess ACL injuries – suggesting further scans will be essential to determine the exact damage.
For now, the length of Leoni’s absence remains unknown. With his potential sidelining, Liverpool will likely rely on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté as the main centre-back pairing, with Joe Gomez continuing as the primary backup option.
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