Giovanni Leoni breaks silence after major Liverpool injury blow on debut
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Giovanni Leoni has posted a message thanking Liverpool fans for their support after the defender was hit with a major injury blow on his debut for the club.
The 18-year-old was stretchered off during the second half of the Reds' 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, having been handed his first start by Arne Slot at Anfield.
Subsequent reports have claimed that Leoni is now facing months out after tearing the cruciate ligament in his left knee, meaning he is likely to miss the most of, if not all of, the remainder of the season, having only completed his move to Liverpool from Parma just over a month ago.
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Posting on Instagram, Leoni said: "I want to sincerely thank every single person who has shown me support in this difficult moment.
"It wasn’t the debut I had always dreamed of, but I will give everything to be back playing in this magical stadium as soon as possible.
Thank you so much!"
The message, posted alongside a picture of Leoni playing during Tuesday's game at Anfield, drew responses from the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Stefan Bajcetic, both of whom responded with love heart emojis, as well as former Liverpool teammate Harvey Elliott.
Leoni's injury presents a problem for Slot, who now has just three recognized center-backs in his squad.
The Reds boss will now have to rely on Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez until at least January, when the transfer window opens, while the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo could provide cover if needed.
Whether Leoni's injury will change Liverpool's January plans remains to be seen
Recent reports have suggested that the club will not make another move for Marc Guehi in the New Year, instead favoring to wait until he becomes a free agent next summer.
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Liverpool missed out on a transfer for the England international after Crystal Palace pulled the plug on a deal on deadline day, with subsequent reports having suggested Guehi will see out the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool.com says: It's a major blow for Leoni and Liverpool