- Giovanni Leoni backed to shine
- Reds defender branded unlucky
- Missing out on Guehi cost Slot’s side
Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni with a lot of hope last summer, but the Italian has been out for the majority of the season following an ACL injury.
Arne Slot has been forced to use Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in most of the matches this season, and the two center-backs have been playing week in and week out without any real break.
The duo has played over 2000 minutes each in the Premier League alone, while the next central defender with the most minutes for the Reds is Joe Gomez with just over 500 minutes.
The contrast shows how much the Reds have suffered after missing out on Marc Guehi in the summer and then seeing Leoni ruled out for the season after getting injured on his debut.
Pundit makes bold claim about Liverpool star
Mark Lawrenson was on talkSPORT this week, and he believes that Liverpool missing out on Guehi has been a key reason for their poor form this season. He added that Crystal Palace pulling the plug in the final hours of the deadline day put the Reds’ plans for the season on the back foot.
“100 per cent, absolutely. It looked for a while, we were hearing certainly that he was going to go to Liverpool, then all of a sudden it completely changed and that scuppered their plans.”
The pundit went on to state that Leoni’s injury made things worse, but is confident about the Italian making a big impression at the club next season and said:
“The other thing as well is the young Italian guy they’ve got, he’s going to be an absolutely outstanding player, but of course he’s coming seriously injured as well, so he’s not played. So, he’s not been lucky, the manager, with injuries, but everybody gets them and you’ve just got to deal with it.”
The 19-year-old tore his ACL in October on his Liverpool debut in the Carabao Cup against Southampton. He played 81 minutes before being forced off the pitch in the 2-1 win.
Giovanni Leoni nearing Liverpool return
Giovanni Leoni has been training at the AXA Training Center this month and is expected to make a return to full training before the end of the season. He is yet to return to first-team training, but has been doing outdoor work.
The Italian is regarded as one of the best young defenders, and it was no surprise that the Reds splashed the cash last summer. Inter Milan have been linked with a move for the youngster, but a move is unliekly to be sanctioned.
The Reds faithful will hope the teenager hits the ground running and challenges Jérémy Jacquet for a starting role next season. The future of Ibrahima Konate remains undecided as the Frenchman has not penned a new deal despite being in the final week of his current contract.
Follow all the build-up, live match updates, and post-game analysis right here on the ReadLiverpool website
