Liverpool wonderkid Giovanni Leoni sends out positive message after undergoing ACL surgery and set for lengthy spell out

Following his transfer from Parma to Liverpool, 18-year-old Leoni finally got to make his competitive debut for the Reds last week as Arne Slot put him in the starting lineup against Southampton in a Carabao Cup clash. The defender, however, suffered an injury with nine minutes left on the clock and had to be stretchered off the pitch. The Italian underwent scans on his knee before finding out that he has ruptured his ACL and will remain sidelined for a long period. 

Leoni would have hoped to make a mark in his debut season at Anfield and break into the Italy senior national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, however, considering ACL injuries can take up to nine months to recover from, he won't be back on the pitch at least until pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The Reds too, are dealt a major blow as they now have only Joe Gomez and Rhys Williams as cover for the first-choice centre-back pair of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. 

Following surgery on his knee, Leoni shared an image of himself on the hospital bed and wrote: "Surgery done. Thanks everyone for the messages. I'll be back soon."

IG:@giovannileonii

After making a perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign, Arne Slot's Reds suffered their maiden defeat against Crystal Palace last week, followed by a 1-0 loss at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday. They will now aim to bounce back with a win against Chelsea this Saturday in the Premier League.