Liverpool progressed to the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 2-1 win over Southampton, but the result was overshadowed by concern for debutant Giovanni Leoni.
The 18-year-old defender, signed this summer as part of the club’s strategy to invest in promising European talent, was forced off late in the second half after an awkward landing near the touchline. Leoni immediately signalled his discomfort before being stretchered away, leaving Anfield in silence.
For Arne Slot, who handed the teenager his first competitive start in senior football, the post-match emotions were conflicted: satisfaction at Liverpool’s progress, but apprehension over the severity of the injury.
“Of course, he is down because for him it didn’t feel good immediately,” Slot said afterwards. “But this is something we have to assess. Normally these things don’t happen in five or 10 minutes you have to wait for tomorrow to see how he comes in and then maybe do an MRI scan to know more about how serious it is.
“Normally, the emotions of a player tell you a lot. I saw during the weekend a player in the Dutch Eredivisie who went out completely in tears Ruben van Bommel of PSV and a day later it proved to be that it was right. Let’s hope for the best.”
Leoni’s evening had until that moment been a significant personal milestone. The Italian centre-back, who arrived in July, looked composed in his first competitive outing before his debut was cruelly cut short after 81 minutes.
Liverpool’s victory, secured by Alexander Isak’s first goal for the club and a late winner from Hugo Ekitike, who was later sent off for a second booking, now feels secondary to the question of how long Leoni could be sidelined.
Slot’s tone suggested a manager bracing himself for bad news, though he was careful to stress that a full assessment by the medical staff will be required. For Liverpool, who face a packed autumn schedule, the timing is far from ideal. For Leoni, it could mean an enforced pause just as his Anfield career had begun.
