Liverpool dealt brutal blow as summer signing suffers season-ending ACL injury

Per Fabrizio Romano, Leoni sustained an ACL injury during Liverpool's 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. Leoni was stretchered off in the closing stages after an awkward fall. The defender joined the Reds in a £30 million ($41m) deal from Parma in the summer but he now faces a serious challenge to return before the end of the season. 

Leoni is just 18, and will surely have had dreams of becoming a first-team star at Anfield after his debut. Alas, he now faces a gruelling recovery schedule as he attempts to find his way back onto the grass. ACL injuries can take up to nine months to recover from, meaning Leoni could be out until pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. 

Leoni may only be 18 but he has already taken great strides in his career, making 17 first-team Serie A appearances, and also winning seven caps for Italy's Under-19s, before his move to Merseyside. He has signed a long-term contract with Liverpool until 2031, so he has plenty of time to make his mark at Anfield. 

The Reds have fixtures to fulfill without Leoni and play Crystal Palace this weekend. The young Italian will hope that Arne Slot's team can continue their superb start to the season without him. They have a perfect record from their first five Premier League fixtures.