26.09.2025 16:41
Galatasaray's Champions League opponent Liverpool has submitted a request to UEFA following the injury of young defender Giovanni Leoni. They are awaiting approval to add Federico Chiesa to the squad in place of Leoni. The English team wants to invoke UEFA's "Long-term injury or illness" rule.
On September 30, Tuesday, Liverpool, which will be the guest of Galatasaray in the Champions League, is preparing to make a surprising application to UEFA before the critical match.
STAR PLAYER INJURED
In the third round of the English League Cup, Liverpool defeated Southampton 2-1, but young defender Giovanni Leoni had to leave the game due to an injury he sustained in the 81st minute. Tests revealed that the 18-year-old Italian player, who was transferred from Parma for 31 million euros in August, has torn his cruciate ligaments and will miss the rest of the season.
THEY WANT TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW RULE
Following this development, Liverpool wants to activate the "Long-term injury or illness" rule that UEFA implemented before the 2025-26 season. This regulation allows a new name to be included in the squad for a player who is injured until the sixth match day in the group stage.
It was stated that the Reds are waiting for UEFA's approval to add star player Federico Chiesa to the list in place of Leoni. If the application is accepted, Chiesa could be on the field in the away match against Galatasaray.
Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot announced at a press conference that Leoni would be unable to play for about a year. Confirming the plans to add Chiesa to the squad, Slot said, "If a player has an injury lasting more than two months, a change can be made. We will see how the process progresses."