Federico Chiesa sends heartwarming message to Giovanni Leoni following injury scare
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Giovanni Leoni had to be stretchered off with what looked like a knee injury.
The Reds made hard work of things yet again, but they got the job done after edging past Championship side Southampton 2-1 in the EFL Cup.
To make it into the fourth round, they needed a goal off the bench from Hugo Ekitike, although the Frenchman ended up getting sent off for taking his shirt off in his celebration after already being on a yellow.
This overshadowed the night as a whole, but Arne Slot will be happy with some of his stars’ performances, especially defender Giovanni Leoni.
On his debut, the Italian looked composed at the back and had a solid game, but he did have to leave the pitch on a stretcher in the 81st minute after an awkward landing on his knee.
The extent of the injury is not yet known, but at first glance, it did not look pretty, and his teammate Federico Chiesa has been quick to offer his fellow countryman some support.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool may have failed to keep a clean sheet, but the two debutants of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Leoni had very impressive games indeed.
The Italian in particular impressed the fans, with the 18-year-old looking like a very experienced head on young shoulders.
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He also shone despite playing alongside a struggling Joe Gomez, suggesting that he may now be the ‘first reserve’ if Slot gets an injury to one of his first-choice centre-backs.
However, this will depend on the severity of his injury, with everyone hoping that he will be back very soon, something Chiesa echoed in his post-match interview.
“I am sorry for Giovanni Leoni after what happened to him, we don’t know yet,” Chiesa told All Red Video (LFCTV) after the game.
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“I hope it is nothing bad because he has a bright future ahead, he is a fantastic guy and great footballer.
He is just 18, so I hope it is nothing bad, we will have to wait and see.”
Chiesa himself also impressed on the night on his first start of the season, with the winger picking up two assists and winning the Man of the Match award.
Not only has Leoni proven that he could be vital to Liverpool’s plans in the near future, but he might be key in the here and now.
After Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, it leaves Gomez and him as the next best options, but based on the Englishman’s performance vs Southampton, it will be Leoni who gets the nod ahead of him.
Despite being 10 years his junior, the Italian was much more composed and looked like the more experienced one, suggesting Slot might opt for him if he needs to make a change at the back.
This, of course, depends on how serious the injury is, but if he is not out for an extended period of time, then Leoni might be seen a lot more this season.