Liverpool is concerned about a potentially serious injury to their young defender, Giovanni Leoni, who was stretchered off the field during his debut match against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. The 18-year-old Italian appeared to injure his left leg in the 81st minute after landing awkwardly while making a tackle. The match, which Liverpool won 2-1, was overshadowed by the incident.

Leoni, who joined Liverpool from Parma in the summer for €35 million, was making his first appearance for the club. Despite the disappointing end to his debut, Leoni had shown promise during the game, particularly in the first half. He completed more passes (59) than any other player on the pitch and had a 100% success rate in aerial duels, along with four clearances, two interceptions, and two ball recoveries.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his concern, stating that "when a player goes off like that it's normally not a good sign". He also alluded to a player in the Dutch Eredivisie, Ruben van Bommel, who left a game in tears recently, and it turned out to be a serious injury. Slot indicated that Leoni would undergo assessments, including an MRI scan, to determine the extent of the damage. There are fears that Leoni may have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The Anfield crowd gave Leoni a standing ovation as he was stretchered off the pitch. Slot checked on the young defender before he was replaced by Milos Kerkez. Slot acknowledged that the team's performance wasn't their best, but he highlighted positive individual performances from Giorgi Mamardashvili, Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni.