LIVERPOOL (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Giovanni Leoni’s nightmare is nearing its end, although a little more patience will still be required.

Signed from Parma in the summer of 2025, the 19-year-old defender suffered an immediate setback at Liverpool. In September last year, making his debut for the Reds in the League Cup against Southampton, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Now, however, after more than a year, his return to action is approaching, although there has been a slight delay compared with initial expectations.

“It’s taking longer than we would have liked,” admitted Reds manager Andoni Iraola. “The plan was for him to train with the team during the last international break, but that will probably happen during the next one, so we’ve lost a month in the process.

“I wasn’t here when Giovanni got injured, but after speaking with the medical staff, I learned that it wasn’t just an ACL injury. It was a serious injury that affected several tissues in the knee, in addition to the ligament.”

Iraola said the priority now is to ensure that Leoni feels “very confident. We want to make sure that once he returns to training with the team, he can stay there and remain fit.

“It’s true that we’ve had what I wouldn’t call a setback, but rather a slight delay, if that’s how we want to describe it. The current plan is for him to start working with the group during the next international break.

“It won’t be much longer, although it will happen a little later than we had expected.”

– Photo Ipa Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews