In the week that one Liverpool teenager was dealt a heartbreaking injury setback, another has been given some rather more welcome news regarding his own body blow.
The Reds’ 2-1 win over Southampton on Tuesday night was overshadowed by the sight of Giovanni Leoni being stretchered off, and it subsequently emerged that he’s torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is set to rule him out of action for several months.
The Italian isn’t the only LFC youngster to incur a momentum-checking injury this month, with academy gem Will Wright being forced off on a stretcher during the UEFA Youth League clash against Atletico Madrid last week.
Will Wright injury update – how long will he be sidelined?
In the latest instalment of Liverpool Confidential for Mail Sport, Lewis Steele provided an update on the ex-Salford striker’s body blow, and a timeframe has now been put on the 17-year-old’s recovery.
The journalist indicated that Wright is ‘expected’ to be sidelined ‘for five to seven weeks’ with a medial ligament injury, which has been described as ‘a relief as the immediate reaction was that it could be something significantly longer’.
Hopefully Wright can come back stronger from that injury
While obviously the injury to the teenage striker is an unwanted development, the projection of a mid-November return to action appears to be a far brighter outcome than what had initially been feared after he seemed to jar his knee against Atletico’s under-19s.
The 17-year-old had been enjoying a steady run of games before that setback a few days ago, having joined from Salford in the summer after scoring more than 50 goals across various youth levels for the Ammies last season.
Once his convalescence is completed, he’ll naturally need a few games to get him back up to speed, but hopefully he can rediscover the kind of form which persuaded Liverpool to sign him.
At least Wright’s injury news is far more encouraging than Leoni’s, with the Italian realistically unlikely to play again this season – a devastating twist of fate after he’d played so impressively on his Reds debut.
Let’s hope that the two teenagers can come back even stronger from their respective setbacks.