Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni out for a year with ACL injury | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that Giovanni Leoni will be sidelined for around a year after suffering a serious knee injury.

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

He produced an impressive performance in the League Cup game, but he was forced off the pitch with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Slot 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 is a big blow for Liverpool, who are stretched at centre-back.

Liverpool agreed a £35m fee with Crystal Palace to sign Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day. Palace manager Oliver Glasner blocked the move.

The Reds have won all five Premier League matches this season to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Slot made wholesale changes to the team for Wednesday’s League 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.