£13m Liverpool player is about to be affected by a rule change UEFA made this season
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Liverpool might be forced into making a change that they really did not want to make.
The Reds maintained their 100% winning record on Tuesday night after beating Southampton in EFL Cup, although it was far from convincing yet again.
Hugo Ekitike came off the bench to score the winner, although he was quickly sent off after receiving a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in the celebration.
This largely overshadowed the night, but another thing that put a dampener on things was Giovanni Leoni having to be stretchered off with an injury.
The extent of the problem is not yet known, but many are fearing for the worst as it did not look good at all.
This could have huge implications going forward, and if he is out for a long period of time, Liverpool may have to consider UEFA’s new rule change.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
It would be a real shame for Liverpool to lose Leoni for an extended period of time as he looked excellent on his debut, with the Italian not looking out of place one bit.
However, with things not looking too promising, the Reds will have to start thinking about how they will manage while he is out, with the best outcome being that it will only be for a few weeks.
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But if it is an ACL that some think it might be, or at least another serious injury, then they will have to plan long-term, and this includes taking him out of their Champions League squad.
As outlined by BBC Sport, clubs can replace one outfield player if they are ruled out for an extended period of time through injury.
This has to be done during the league phase, though, with no changes allowed after this point, even if another injury occurs.
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Someone who could come in for him is fellow Italian Federico Chiesa, with the winger, bizarrely, left out of the squad earlier this month.
Although it is not like-for-like, the Reds could play a few players out of position to help fill the void left by Leoni if they have to resort to this, with Chiesa an obvious choice to bring in to reinforce the forward line.
Chiesa very rarely gets the chances that his patience deserves, but on Tuesday he got the opportunity and grasped it with both hands.
The Italian was a livewire from the first whistle and worked tirelessly to get his team over the line, while also showing great composure for his two assists.
Jamie Redknapp labelled his performance as ‘exceptional’ and many fans would agree, with his song ringing around Anfield all game long.
Of course, no one wants an injury to Leoni and hopefully he can recover in time to stay in the squad, but if that is not possible, Chiesa seems the most deserving player to take his spot.