The 19-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September 2025. He has spent the past year working with the club’s medical staff as he attempts to return to full fitness.
Manager Andoni Iraola said the injury involved more than damage to the ACL, making the recovery process more complicated than initially expected.
“Regarding Giovanni’s injury, I wasn’t here, but speaking with the medical staff, it emerged that it wasn’t just a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. It was a serious injury that involved several structures of the knee as well as the ligament itself,” Iraola said.
The original plan was for Leoni to resume team training during the most recent international break. That target has now been postponed until the next break in November, meaning the recovery schedule has slipped by around a month.
“He has to have a lot of confidence,” Iraola said. “The rehabilitation process requires extreme care, and we want to make sure that when he returns to the team, he is in the best possible condition.”
The Liverpool manager acknowledged that the delay was disappointing but stressed that it was not a fresh injury setback.
“It is true that there has been, not exactly a relapse, but a slight delay, if we want to put it that way,” he said. “The current plan is for him to return during the next international break. It is not far away, but the timing has stretched a little compared with what we expected.”
Leoni’s return to training would be an important milestone after such a long absence, but it would not mean he is immediately ready to play competitive football. Liverpool are taking a cautious approach to ensure the defender can remain available once he rejoins the group.
The club’s priority is to complete his rehabilitation properly rather than rush him back to meet a previously planned date. For Leoni, the focus remains on regaining full fitness and building towards a return to the first-team squad.