Liverpool move Giovanni Leoni training target to November after recovery delay

Liverpool have pushed back Giovanni Leoni's planned return to team training until the November international break, with head coach Andoni Iraola saying the defender's recovery is taking longer than hoped. In an update published by the club on Thursday, Iraola explained that the original knee injury involved damage beyond a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

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The 19-year-old had been expected to rejoin his teammates during the most recent international break. Instead, the medical team is continuing a cautious rehabilitation programme. Iraola said the revised plan effectively moves the training target back by a month, while describing the change as a delay rather than a setback. November remains the aim, not a guaranteed return.

According to Liverpool's account, Iraola wants Leoni to feel confident before rejoining the group and to be in a condition that allows him to stay involved once he returns. The defender has spent the past year working with the club's medical staff at the AXA Training Centre. The update concerned team training rather than a date for competitive appearances.

Leoni's absence began on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup at Anfield in September 2025. PA reporting carried by RTE said he was injured 81 minutes into that match. He had joined from Parma only weeks earlier, in a transfer worth £26 million plus add-ons, according to the Evening Standard's report carried by Yahoo Sports.

The Evening Standard reported that Leoni underwent surgery and had initially been expected to miss around a year. This Is Anfield also reported that earlier hopes of a return during pre-season had not materialised, with rehabilitation continuing instead. The latest update extends that wait, more than 12 months after the injury interrupted the Italian centre-back's first Liverpool appearance.

Liverpool also face other availability concerns ahead of Saturday's trip to Brentford. PA's report listed Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai as injured and unlikely to be fit for that match. Their situations remain separate from Leoni's longer rehabilitation, for which the next stated milestone is joining team training during November's break.