Giovanni Leoni’s injury that he suffered against Liverpool is unfortunately as bad as first feared.
It has now been shared by Fabrizio Romano that Leoni has torn his ACL, which means that he will be ruled out of contention for ‘several months.’
This is a massive shame for both Liverpool and Leoni as, against Southampton, the 18-year-old had a pretty solid debut.
He was partnered up with Joe Gomez for most of the night, and, to be honest, he was the better performer of the two.
However, since the Reds only have four natural senior centre-backs among their ranks, the question now is who’s likely to step up and fill in as fourth-choice?
Wataru Endo will likely be Arne Slot’s first port of call at Liverpool
Although Wataru Endo was one of Jurgen Klopp’s signings, it’s clear that Arne Slot also has plenty of affection for the midfielder.
The Japan international has never once complained about being second-fiddle or even complained about being used out of position.
During Liverpool’s pre-season, when the club only had two fit centre-backs available, the former Stuttgart man was used at centre-back more than once by Slot.
In fact, he was even used there during the 2024-25 season on occasion.
And, now that the Reds are down to just three centre-backs again, it could be Endo’s time to shine and to prove that he has what it takes to be a competitive player in the Premier League.
This is something that needs addressing immediately, especially after the performance he put on against the Saints on Tuesday.
Rhys Williams and Amara Nallo could also be called upon by Liverpool if needed
One thing that is good about having such a strong academy is the fact that several impressive talents emerge from it almost every season.
Liverpool’s academy is seen as one of the best in England, with the likes of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard making their way through the ranks to eventually become first-team regulars.
More recent examples of impressive academy talents are Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who both had their fair share of success as Liverpool players.
However, now that the Reds are down to just three natural centre-backs, Slot could call upon his academy players to come and fill in the gaps.
Indeed, Rhys Williams may be 24 years old now, but the fact that he’s still around means that he can be used by the Dutchman if needed.
Amara Nallo, on the other hand, is an 18-year-old prospect who has made his debut for the club in their Champions League clash against PSV last season.
Granted, it did end in a red card for the centre-back, but from the training clips that have emerged and the odd in-game clips that have surfaced, it’s clear that he’s an exceptional talent.
At the moment, it’s unclear what Slot will do, but for now, he’ll just be hoping that Gomez doesn’t end up injured again.
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