Liverpool have been dealt a major injury blow recently, with Giovanni Leoni sidelined for several months with ACL damage; Arne Slot may use Wataru Endo as a centre-back.
Liverpool will have an opportunity to fill the void that Giovanni Leoni’s in January by signing a quality central defender. They were heavily linked with Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see if they decide to return for him in January. For now, Arne Slot plans to use Wataru Endo as a central defender when needed.
That is according to a report by Football Insider. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez are the only fit central defenders at the club right now. Meanwhile, Konate and Gomez have been quite poor recently. They will need to improve for Liverpool to do well.
As for Wataru Endo, it will be interesting to see if he can fill the void left by Leoni for now. The veteran midfielder is an experienced player, and he has been a useful squad player for the Reds since joining them. Endo is naturally a defensive midfielder, but he has played as a defender in the past. It remains to be seen whether he can do a job for his team if needed.
Liverpool have started the season well, with five wins out of six in the Premier League. However, their performances have not been convincing. The reigning Premier League champions crashed to a late defeat against Crystal Palace last week. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. Their poor defensive performance let them down against the Eagles.
As for Leoni, he was outstanding on his debut against Southampton. He will be devastated by the injury blow. It remains to be seen whether he can bounce back strongly and return from injury quickly. There is no doubt that he is an elite talent with a bright future. Liverpool will look to guide him during the recovery period and bring him back into the fold for the next season slowly.
It would be ideal for the Reds to seek quality reinforcements in January instead of using Wataru Endo as a centre-back. The Reds will look to win the Premier League title again, and they cannot afford to go through the season with makeshift options in defence.
