Giovanni Leoni looks so different one year on as Liverpool star out to make up for lost time

Liverpool center-back Giovanni Leoni is nearing a return to full team training 12 months after undergoing surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Italian defender sustained the injury in October 2025 during his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. Following a patient rehabilitation period at the AXA Training Centre, Leoni has physically bulked up and is expected to resume full training following the upcoming international break.

Signed from Parma for an initial £26 million in August 2025, Leoni completed his rehabilitation in England to build relationships with club staff. Liverpool officials view the teenager, alongside fellow young defender Jeremy Jacquet, as a key component of the club's long-term central defensive planning under captain Virgil van Dijk.