Tuesday evening should have been a celebratory occasion for Liverpool’s 18-year-old center-back Giovanni Leoni.
For 80 minutes, the young defender outshone his senior partner Joe Gomez in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory vs. Southampton, delivering a performance more reminiscent of a consummate veteran than an Anfield debutant.
Instead, Leoni’s night ended in heartbreak. A freak collision late into the contest left him crumpled on the pitch and forced him to exit the game, and scans later confirmed a torn ACL—an injury that will sideline him for months.
Fans should take encouragement from the former Parma player’s display, which hinted at a bright future in a Liverpool shirt.
Still, while both supporters and the club will feel gutted by his setback—and with only three senior center-backs now fit—Arne Slot and his staff must quickly devise a plan to cope with such a significant blow.
As most already know, the European transfer window closed on Sept. 1, meaning that the Reds can’t look to sign any new reinforcements until January.
Razor thin margins
With a single setback to Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, or Joe Gomez leaving the club without cover on the bench, it falls to Arne Slot to have certain players split time in training between their natural positions and central defense.
Fortunately, the boss has already executed this successfully this season, with Dominik Szoboszlai excelling at fullback when needed despite it being an unfamiliar role.
Two logical candidates to take reps at center-back during midweek sessions are veteran fullback Andy Robertson and Wataru Endo, Liverpool’s most defensively minded midfielder.
In fact, Robertson was asked to shift into the middle of the back four after Leoni’s injury against Southampton, and he proved pivotal in the final 10 minutes.
The Scotsman delivered the long ball to Federico Chiesa that led to the winning goal and later helped preserve Liverpool’s one-goal lead after Hugo Ekitike was sent off for a second yellow.
With Robbo now appearing to be second choice at left back behind Milos Kerkez, his experience and selfless willingness to help the team in any role make him a smart option to train outside his natural position.
The club indeed may count themselves fortunate that a rumored move to Atlético Madrid for the vice-captain never came to fruition.
Joining Robertson in taking center-back reps during training could be Wataru Endo, the defensive workhorse who has already filled in at the position on multiple occasions for the club.
A versatile option
Having started his professional career at center-back in his native Japan, Endo’s strong on-ball skills as a midfielder mean he can be trusted to play out from the back—a key hallmark of Arne Slot’s system.
While his height (5’10”) might pose a challenge in aerial duels if he’s deployed in central defense, his work rate and technical ability make him a more-than-viable option.
Relying on senior players to fill in out of position is one option, but given Slot’s willingness to give 18-year-old Leoni playing time, the club could also consider looking to their academy for another young player to come off the bench if needed.
One youngster that could soon receive a bump up to the first team is 18 year-old Amara Nallo, who was one of Liverpool’s top 21U players this past season.
Nallo proved to be the anchor of the young Reds’ defense, logging over 1,000 minutes last season.
That impressive total signals to fans unfamiliar with him that he has both the full trust of manager Barry Lewtas and the stamina to handle significant game time.
Being thrown into Premier League action straight from the U21s may be a lot to ask of such a young player, but Arne Slot could consider bringing the teenager on at center-back as a substitute in competitions like the Carabao Cup or FA Cup.
This would give him valuable experience while allowing the Reds to rest their first-choice defenders once a strong lead is established.
Liverpool’s defense has been a clear weak spot this season, with just two clean sheets in seven competitive games.
While Leoni’s injury is the last thing the back four needed, I have faith that Slot—one of the best minds in English football since his arrival—will have a Plan B ready if the injury bug strikes the defense again.