Giovanni Leoni’s first appearance in Liverpool colours lasted just over 80 minutes before ending with the teenager being carried away on a stretcher. Signed from Parma in the summer, he was trusted to start against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate rested.

The 18-year-old had looked composed until a challenge near the touchline left him on the ground clutching his knee. The stadium watched as medical staff treated him and the player’s own reaction told its own story. Tears accompanied his exit, leaving supporters with a familiar sense of dread about another injury to a defender.

Arne Slot attempted to strike a measured tone in the aftermath. “Of course, he is down because for him it didn’t feel good immediately, but this is something now we have to assess,” he said.

“Normally these things don’t happen in five to 10 minutes and you have to wait for tomorrow to see how he comes in and then maybe do an MRI scan to know more about how serious it is. Normally the emotions of a player tell you a lot. I saw during the weekend a player in the Dutch Eredivisie who went out completely in tears, Ruben van Bommel, by the way, of PSV, and a day later it proved to be that it was right. Let’s hope for the best.”

Liverpool’s pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi collapsed on deadline day, leaving the squad thinner in central defence than desired. Slot’s planning had already leaned on youth, and Leoni represented both promise and risk. Now, his absence, however long it lasts, threatens to tilt the balance of a department where reliability is already a concern.

The timing could not be more awkward. Liverpool face a run of three away fixtures, beginning with Crystal Palace in the Premier League, followed by a Champions League clash against Galatasaray and a meeting with Chelsea. The challenge for Slot will be to maintain momentum with a squad that has started perfectly in the league but now feels vulnerable to the attrition of injuries.