Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni out for a year with ACL injury

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·26 septembre 2025

Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni out for a year with ACL injury

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Giovanni Leoni will remain sidelined for around a year after picking up an ACL injury.

The 18-year-old made his Reds debut against Southampton earlier this week after arriving at the Merseyside club from Parma in a £26 million deal.

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He produced an impressive performance in the Carabao Cup game, but his debut ended in disappointment as he was forced off the pitch with a cruciate ligament injury.

Slot, speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, confirmed the teenager is set to remain out for around a year.

He said (per BBC Sport): “He is not in a good place because he tore his ACL which means he will be out for a year.

“Being so young and coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game, it’s very hard to take the positives.

“There is never a positive side but you try to look at that, and that is he is still so young and he has so many years still go to after he recovers from a terrible injury.”

Liverpool have added Federico Chiesa to their Champions League squad in place of Leoni.

The Italian’s injury comes as a big blow for the English giants, who are now left with only three recognised centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

The Reds spent a record-breaking £446 million in the summer, but they failed to add a top defender.

Liverpool tried to sign Marc Guehi and agreed a £35m fee with Crystal Palace on the transfer deadline day.

But manager Oliver Glasner stepped in to block the move by threatening to resign if he was sold.

Liverpool have been impeccable this season, winning all five Premier League matches to open up a five-point lead at the top.

Slot made wholesale changes to the team for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Southampton, but they still emerged victorious.

They are set to lock horns with Palace at Selhurst Park this weekend. Glasner’s side are also unbeaten in the English top-flight, recording three draws and two wins.