Liverpool bought 18-year-old Italian defender Giovanni Leoni, expecting that he would replace skipper Virgil van Dijk in the next few years.
Unfortunately for the Reds, a longer timeframe looks more comfortable, as Leoni suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Southampton.
The Merseysiders welcomed the Saints to Anfield for an EFL Cup clash. The usual defensive duo of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were on a rest day following a tiring week that saw the Reds play three matches.
Both defenders had played over 250 minutes in a week, and a rest day was imminent, considering the club’s upcoming schedule.
Joe Gomez started alongside Giovanni Leoni, who was playing his first match for Liverpool. Arne Slot had previously hailed the defender as Premier League-ready and decided to hand him his debut in a low-stakes Cup game.
Giovanni Leoni debut ACL injury means a one-year suspension
Giovanni Leoni has the big task of living up to the expectations of succeeding Virgil van Dijk (Credits: Imago Images)
The Reds did end up winning the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup, but they also lost two players in the process. Alexander Isak also scored his first goal for the English outfit just before half-time.
Unfortunately, Southampton came back in the 76th minute as Shea Charles decided not to give up yet. However, Hugo Ekitike turned the tables as the Frenchman scored the winner at Anfield in the 85th minute.
Despite Ekitike’s performance, Arne Slot didn’t like what the striker did after the goal. Already having a yellow card on his head, the Reims native decided to remove his shirt to celebrate the goal.
However, things were dicey minutes before the winning goal as Giovanni Leoni went down injured. The Italian had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and Liverpool have confirmed that he’ll be out for a year.
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The defensive situation at Liverpool
Slot had failed to sign Marc Guehi in the summer as Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the transfer in the final hours of the window.
This left the Dutch gaffer with only four centre-backs to start the season. With only three of them being senior ones, the situation looked even grimmer than the Reds would’ve expected.
Now, with Giovanni Leoni’s injury, the Merseysiders will be going hard with shopping in January. Guehi’s departure is a known fact at Selhurst Park, and the Eagles will prefer a sale instead of a free transfer at the end of the season.
