Alright, so here’s the deal: Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool’s big €35 million signing, is finally closing in on a return from his brutal long-term injury. But don’t hold your breath for his comeback on the pitch just yet, because the latest from head coach Andoni Iraola confirms Leoni is still not expected to feature in either of Liverpool’s next two matches before the international break kicks in. That’s a gut punch for fans who’ve been waiting for this kid, man.
The One-Year Nightmare for Liverpool’s Big Buy
Can you believe it’s been a whole year? Leoni, who joined Liverpool from Parma last summer, had his entire 2025-26 season end in a cruel twist of fate on his very first appearance. Eighty-one minutes into an EFL Cup third round match against Southampton, he tore his cruciate ligament, an ACL tear, on September 23, 2025. That’s just brutal luck for a teenager, especially one who cost €35 million plus bonuses. Everyone thought he’d miss around nine months, which is already a huge chunk of time. But this rehab has dragged on, taking even longer than anyone expected. The guy still hasn’t seen the field almost exactly a year after that devastating injury. Talk about a long road back.
Iraola Spills The Tea On Leoni’s Return Plan
New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola gave us some insight on September 3, confirming Leoni is expected to return to training with the first team during the upcoming September-October international break. “I think the next one [to return after Joe Gomez] probably should be Giovanni Leoni,” Iraola said. “I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group. I think even Fede [Chiesa] should be around those dates.”
Iraola dropped another update before their big match against Tottenham in the EFL Cup third round , the *exact same stage* of the competition where Leoni got hurt last season. When asked about full-back Conor Bradley, Iraola mentioned Bradley isn’t close to team training and is still working alone, just starting to touch the ball. Then he added the kicker: “I think Giovanni Leoni is a little bit ahead of him and still it’s going to take some time for Conor, yes.” So, Leoni is ahead of Bradley, but it still sounds like we’re not seeing him in actual game action for a bit.
The big takeaway here? That international break is the pivotal moment. It’s when Leoni is finally slated to train with the squad again. Liverpool is set to face Tottenham in the EFL Cup soon, and then who knows what’s next for them. But for Leoni, the focus is all on getting back into full team training, a massive step after a year on the sidelines. Let’s hope he finally gets some real momentum towards stepping onto the pitch soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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