Liverpool suffered their first major injury setback of the 2025–26 season during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round win over Southampton.
The Reds were victorious thanks to goals from summer recruits Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké—the latter then sent off for a ludicrous second booking—but it was not all good news for Liverpool’s new signings.
Giovanni Leoni, the 18-year-old signed from Parma for £26 million, had enjoyed an excellent debut before being withdrawn on a stretcher ten minutes from the full-time whistle, with reports suggesting the teenager has damaged his ACL. He’s likely to be missing for the majority of the season as a result.
It’s a sizeable blow for Liverpool and their Italian wonderkid, but the injury setback will open the door for another member of Arne Slot’s squad thanks to a new Champions League rule.






