In the concluded League Cup match, Liverpool defeated Southampton 2-1 at home. During this game, Liverpool’s summer signing Leoni made his debut for the Reds, but was forced off with an injury in the 81st minute. Leoni’s situation has raised fears that he has suffered a severe knee injury, and the young Italian center-back may be sidelined for a long time.
Liverpool has so far refused to set a timeline for his absence, with manager Arne Slot set to provide an update during a press conference at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning.
However, the club's medical staff are concerned about the severity of the young Italian player's injury. Tuesday night's match marked only the 18th senior team appearance of his career.
It is expected that Leoni's absence will be measured in months rather than weeks—an undoubtedly heavy blow for the teenager who was called up to the Italy national team earlier this month and is on the verge of securing a place in international competitions.
This means Liverpool now has only three senior central defenders left: Joe Gomez will provide substitute support for Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk, and the team will field this squad for Saturday's match against Crystal Palace. Wataru Endo has previously filled in as a central defender, while midfielder Ryan Gravenberch also played in this position a few times last season as an emergency option.
