Liverpool's teenage defender Giovanni Leoni has suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament tear that will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign.
The 18-year-old Italian sustained the injury during his debut appearance for the club in Tuesday's Carabao Cup victory over Southampton at Anfield.
The £26million summer arrival from Parma was forced off on a stretcher after 81 minutes following an awkward collision near the touchline.
Medical assessments have confirmed the severity of the injury, with recovery from ACL damage typically requiring nine to twelve months.
Liverpool's teenage defender Giovanni Leoni has suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament tear that will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign
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The centre-back had delivered an impressive performance before his unfortunate exit, displaying exceptional composure during a commanding display in his first outing for the Merseyside club.
Manager Arne Slot expressed concern about the injury whilst praising the youngster's display.
The 18-year-old went to ground in pain after an awkward fall just 10 minutes from time
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"He's down because for him it didn't feel good immediately," the Reds boss revealed in his post-match comments.
"But this is something now we have to assess and normally these things don't happen in five to 10 minutes, you have to wait until tomorrow to see how he comes in and then maybe do an MRI scan to know more.
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Giovanni Leoni had impressed throughout his debut for the Reds after his £26million move from Parma this summer
REUTERS
"Normally the emotions of a player tell you a lot," he continued, whilst maintaining hope for a positive outcome.
The Dutch manager had earlier described Leoni's debut performance as "great" before the injury occurred.
The injury creates a significant challenge for Liverpool's defensive options, leaving Slot with just three recognised senior centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.
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Rhys Williams represents the only additional cover, having been named on the bench against Southampton.
Both Konate and Gomez have experienced injury problems in recent seasons, heightening concerns about squad depth.
The situation highlights the severity of Liverpool's unsuccessful pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi during the summer transfer window.
Negotiations collapsed after Palace pulled out of the deal at the eleventh hour on deadline day citing their lack of replacement for the departing skipper.
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Liverpool were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi this summer
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The Eagles had requested Gomez be included in the deal, however Liverpool quickly rebuffed this notion.
The injury also means an extra spot in Liverpool's Champions League squad, permitting long-term injured players to be replaced prior to matchday six in December.
Federico Chiesa, who was initially omitted from Liverpool's European squad, could benefit from Leoni's misfortune after his impressive appearances this season, most recently last night.
Federico Chiesa could benefit from the injury by being added into Liverpool's Champions League squad
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The Italian forward impressed during the Southampton match, providing two assists and earning praise from Slot.
"I think that's what you want to see," the manager said, highlighting Chiesa's work rate and involvement. "It wasn't a coincidence again that he was the man that made a deep run."
The former Juventus player has struggled since arriving on Merseyside but has showed improved form when given additional minutes this campaign.
Chiesa also got on the scoresheet in Liverpool's opening Premier League match against Bournemouth, producing a spectacular scissor kick moments from time to win the game.
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