Giovanni Leoni ACL injury given new recovery timeframe

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Giovanni Leoni has been given a potentially longer recovery timeframe after the ACL injury he picked up last week. Image Credits: Imago Images Liverpool’s hopes for a smooth integration of their £26 million summer signing Giovanni Leoni were shattered when the 18-year-old centre-back suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during his full debut in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton.

However, the injury is expected to rule Leoni out for most of the 2025/26 season, almost certainly dashing his hopes of making his Azzurri bow this autumn. And while the ACL injury could keep him out for much of this season, Leoni’s absence could even stretch to the 2026/27 season.

That’s because injury expert and founder of Premier Injuries, Ben Dinnery, spoke exclusively to Anfield Index about Leoni’s issue – and claims that Liverpool have a duty to protect the welfare of such a young player: “Once these injuries were considered as career ending or career threatening, modern technology and recovery processes means that you can mitigate a lot of those risks,” said Dinnery “However, there are no guarantees that players will always return to pre-injury levels.” “But there’s context in and around that like whether there are any secondary issues on top of the ACL injury,” continued Dinnery “You also need to consider the fact that Giovanni is only 18 years old, so Liverpool do have a duty of care to look after the player whilst he is at the club but also the player and his long-term career.” “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that this return to play could potentially extend into late 2026 or even early 2027.” This is a heavy blow as the club now relies on just three senior recognized centre-backs: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez. The injury has further raised concerns about Liverpool’s defensive depth ahead of the January transfer window.