Not Isak: Liverpool handed significant injury boost as Hugo Ekitike claims long-term absentee is 'soon back'
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Giovanni Leoni has provided a positive update on his injury recovery after missing almost the full season with Liverpool.Leoni impressed on his debut against Southampton in September, only to go down with a serious knee problem in the late stages of the game.Having already missed six months of his first season with the Reds, Liverpool are seemingly hopeful that the Italian could return ahead of pre-season. Leoni‘s latest Instagram post appears to be a good sign towards that end, with his Liverpool teammates thrilled to see him back out on the grass.
Rate Arne Slot’s second season as Liverpool head coach Can anyone make a serious argument for higher than a C? 😶 Photo Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine Leoni returns to the grassOne of the biggest moments in the recovery of a long-term injury is when a player returns to training on the grass instead of purely undergoing gym work.As per his selection of images, Leoni has now passed that landmark. The 19-year-old shared a shot of himself volleying a ball while in full training gear outside at the AXA Training Centre, with another simply showing his boots on the green turf.Choosing a sand timer caption and with a final image declaring ‘everything happens for a reason’, Leoni appears to be closing in on a return.Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Liverpool told why Florian Wirtz is a different player for Germany after stunning Switzerland displayHugo Ekitike certainly seems to think so, with the striker taking to the comments to declare: “Soon back my little brother.”Other Liverpool players flocked to leave their thoughts, with Milos Kerkez, Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate and Rio Ngumoha all posting various selections of emojis.Having seen Leoni cruelly miss so much of what should have been a breakout Premier League season, his teammates are clearly excited to see him back.Despite this significantly positive step, however, there remains little sign that the teenage centre-back will return before the end of the campaign.
Patience is still required, but the end is now in sight. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox