Cody Gakpo delivers heartfelt message after major Liverpool injury blow

Liverpool star Cody Gakpo sent Giovanni Leoni a touching message as he faces up to a year on the sidelines following an ACL injury in this week’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton

Cody Gakpo has delivered a touching message to Liverpool teammate Giovanni Leoni following the teenager’s devastating ACL injury blow.

The Italian starlet shone on his Reds debut against Southampton in midweek, before suffering the cruel setback after an awkward landing late in the second period. After being carried off on a stretcher, it was subsequently confirmed he had sustained an ACL injury, with Arne Slot revealing at Friday’s pre-match briefing that the young centre-back now faces up to 12 months out of action.

Leoni posted on social media on Thursday to express gratitude to the Liverpool faithful for their reaction to his injury news, whilst several teammates also rallied around the defender.

READ MORE: Liverpool injury and suspension latest – Reds stars ruled out of Crystal Palace clashREAD MORE: Paul Merson sends ‘crazy’ Liverpool Premier League title warning to Arsenal

The Reds resume their campaign on Saturday afternoon when they make the trip to Crystal Palace.

And looking ahead to the fixture, Gakpo explained how the Liverpool dressing room plans to rally round Leoni during his extended rehabilitation period.

“It’s always sad to see that something like that happens,” he said. “We will try to be there for him as much as we can and to help him through this difficult period.”

Leoni was amongst 10 fresh arrivals at Liverpool this summer as the Reds embarked on a £450m transfer blitz.

Smashing the British transfer record on two occasions to secure Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, the Sweden international got off the mark for the club in their previous outing against Southampton.

Having witnessed Isak consistently trouble Liverpool in previous encounters whilst representing former club Newcastle United, Gakpo is thrilled to now have the frontman as an ally.

He also made a bold forecast about the Reds’ record signing after his first goal for the club.

“That’s obviously massive for him, as well as for us,” Gakpo shared with the club website. “I think everybody knows how good he can be.

“We saw him in the Newcastle team scoring a lot of goals and hopefully he can do that for us as well.

“A very good player on the ball, off the ball. I’m very happy that he’s here.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.