Giovanni Leoni injury update: Arne Slot latest on defender as Liverpool beat Southampton in EFL Cup

Arne Slot has insisted that Liverpool will have to wait and hope that the injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni is not as serious as it first appeared.

The Reds advanced into the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday following their 2-1 victory against Southampton at Anfield, but the evening has weakened the squad.

Striker Hugo Ekitike was sent off after he received a second yellow card when he took his shirt off to celebrate his late winner, while centre-back Leoni was stretchered off in the second half due to what may have been a knee injury.

Speaking to ITV in the aftermath of his side's win, Slot did not downplay fears that the defender had suffered a serious setback, saying: "If a player goes off like that, it is normally not a good sign. As you can probably understand we have to wait and see what it is. But normally it is not positive when a player goes off like this."

It can take months to recover from a knee injury, and given Leoni is just 18 years old, a significant period on the sidelines could hinder his development.

Liverpool's depth assessed: Does Arne Slot have enough defensive options?

Leoni was seen by Slot as a backup to regulars Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, and he was almost certainly behind veteran Joe Gomez in the pecking order.

Midfielder Wataru Endo has experience playing as a centre-back, and ordinarily he would be an acceptable option in the backline for cup games.

Konate and Gomez have both frequently suffered injury issues while at Anfield, and it is not clear if the club can rely on the duo to stay fit for key periods of the season.

Van Dijk's high level often helps elevate his partner in defence, but considering the captain is 34 years old, he cannot be expected to carry the burden in the backline by himself.

Marc Guehi January move: Will Liverpool bid for Crystal Palace defender?

The Reds had been linked with a move for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, but they failed to sign him despite bidding for the Englishman on deadline day.

It was reported that Liverpool were unwilling to sign the defender in January, and that they would rather wait until his contract expires in the summer window before bringing him to Merseyside.

Leoni would not have been expected to be a first-team starter, but if his injury is serious, perhaps the club will be forced to reconsider their stance on Guehi.

If Liverpool go deep in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions, it is difficult to see how their backline deals with so many games, especially if they are not active in the winter market.