Giovanni Leoni should look to Virgil van Dijk as inspiration in ACL comeback

Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni debuted for Liverpool in the 2-1 win over Southampton in their League Cup third round clash at Anfield on Tuesday.

Leoni suffered an injury in the 81st minute. It has now been confirmed that he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which will keep him on the sidelines for several months.

His absence leaves manager Arne Slot with only three senior centre-back options – Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez – until the January transfer window.

Leoni showed glimpses of why Liverpool paid €35 million for him this summer, but he now risks losing some of his best attributes due to his ACL injury.

Fortunately, the 18-year-old can lean on Van Dijk as he begins his recovery.

Van Dijk also suffered an ACL injury during the 2020/21 season, sparking fears that his career could take a downturn after establishing himself as one of the best defenders in Europe.

However, the Dutchman recovered to become arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League.

Leoni described Van Dijk as one of his mentors before his move to Liverpool. The Italian must now look to emulate the Netherlands international in his recovery from injury.

He showed at Parma last season that he could become one of the best defenders in Europe. He won almost two-thirds of his aerial duels, ranking first among U20 centre-backs in the top five leagues in Europe.

His 88.7 passing accuracy was also the fourth best among teenage centre-backs to play more than 900 minutes.

The ACL injury is undoubtedly a setback for his career, but Leoni can use Van Dijk as an inspiration to return stronger and fulfil his potential at Liverpool.