Giovanni Leoni dealt ‘brutal’ 18-month blow as horrific Liverpool injury update shared by doctor
Liverpool summer signing Giovanni Leoni has been dealt a major injury blow after making his debut for the club.
Leoni was outstanding on his first appearance as Liverpool beat Southampton in the Carabao Cup, and the 18-year-old looks to be an excellent prospect.
Liverpool signed Leoni as extra defensive cover, as well as a long-term option in the back line, and the centre-back was set to feature more in the coming months.
However, Leoni has now torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and could be sidelined for a very long time, in a major blow for Liverpool.
Giovanni Leoni injury timeline revealed
ACL injuries take a while to recover from, and it will be a long time before Leoni graces the pitch at Anfield again.
The 18-year-old will first have to repair his injury, but even when he is ready to return to some form of action, it will be a longer process before he is ready for competitive matches.
- Leoni joined from Parma in the summer, and is seen as one of the best prospects in Italy.
- The defender had made just 17 first-team appearances for them, and the injury comes while he is still raw.
Doctor Rajpal Brar has now revealed that it may even be over a year until Leoni returns to the level he showed before his injury, in a frustrating blow.
“Brutal news for Leoni who had a tremendous game yesterday,” he posted on X.
“Typically looking at around nine-month return for elite footballers and I’m typically looking around 15-18 months for return to pre-injury levels.”
Liverpool must sign a centre-back after Giovanni Leoni injury
Even with Leoni fit, Liverpool needed another centre-back with depth limited in the position, but a deadline day move for Marc Guehi failed.
Now, signing a centre-back in January is simply a must. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are the only natural senior options in the position, and the trio cannot be relied upon to stay fit for the entire season.
Arne Slot will need a centre-back added to his squad in January if Liverpool are to compete on all fronts, after a 100 per cent start to the season.
Full recoveries from ACL injuries can be made, but Federico Chiesa serves as an example of a player who is yet to find his pre-injury form after suffering the same issue early on in his career.
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