The FIVE options Slot can use as emergency Liverpool centre-back after crushing Leoni blow

Liverpool have been left ruing their failure to finalise the signing of Marc Guehi this summer after an injury to Giovanni Leoni left them short for the foreseeable future.

Leoni, a summer signing from Parma, impressed on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Southampton. However, his first appearance for Liverpool will be his only for several months. The Italian prospect suffered an ACL injury, which curtailed his involvement and will rule him out for a lengthy spell.

Liverpool hoped to restock their centre-back department with two options this summer, with their pursuit of Guehi going down to the wire. They agreed a fee with Crystal Palace, who gave him permission to begin a medical on deadline day at the start of September.

But, unable to secure the full complement of reinforcements they wanted in Guehi’s position, Palace ultimately stood in their captain’s way.

Thus, when Palace host Liverpool on Saturday, Guehi will be lining up for the home side. However, his future remains a hot topic in view of the January transfer window, which will be the Eagles’ last chance to sell him before his contract expires in the summer.

The injury to Leoni has heightened Liverpool’s need to revisit the Guehi move in January, while also raising questions as to whether the Reds should have been more proactive in their pursuit of the England international, rather than leaving it so late in the summer window.

As they make their calculations and preparations for the January transfer window, Arne Slot has three months to navigate with a deficiency of natural centre-backs.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are likely to continue as his regular starting partnership, as has been the case for all five games of their Premier League title defence so far.

But Joe Gomez is the only backup option now at Slot’s disposal and he has encountered injury issues over recent years. Thus, there’s a chance the Liverpool boss will have to turn to some emergency options if he wants to rest, or has to do without, Van Dijk or Konate at any point between now and January.

Liverpool could, of course, turn to the free agent market to find a short-term reinforcement, but the options on that front aren’t the most appealing.

Besides, they need to be mindful of how any new addition may affect their long-term planning in the position. An ACL injury is tough to recover from, but Leoni has youth on his side and will be hoping to return later in 2026 to establish himself again.

Yet with Van Dijk in his mid-thirties and Konate approaching the final six months of his contract, it will be imperative for Liverpool to look at defensive reinforcements – Guehi or otherwise – at the next opportunity.

Until then, who are the most likely candidates to fill the void at centre-half?

Wataru Endo

Naturally a defensive midfielder, Endo deputised at centre-back in a few cup games for Liverpool last season while trying to work his way into Slot’s plans.

Back before he made the leap into European football, Endo actually played as a centre-back far more often than as a holding midfielder for his last club in Japanese football, Urawa Reds.

But at Sint-Truiden and Stuttgart, he morphed into more of a defensive midfielder. When joining Liverpool in 2023, he confirmed: “I play as a No.6 and I’m like a bit more [of a] defensive player. I think I can help this club defensively and I will have good organisation in the middle. I think that’s my job.”

Footballers have to adapt, though, especially when they get to an age like Endo’s. And now necessity may dictate a shift in his role – which won’t necessarily be to his disapproval.

“When I spoke with Arne I said I don’t mind where I play,” the 32-year-old reflected in the summer.

“I can play as a six, at right-back or at centre-back – I don’t mind and I will just always give 100 per cent to the team.

“I used to play centre-back when I was in Japan so I don’t mind where I play for Liverpool.”

A top professional, Endo can lend his seniority to a centre-back role for Liverpool, which would perhaps be best off when Van Dijk is the player being left out due to their ages.

Andy Robertson

Robertson could have left Liverpool this summer when they chose to pursue Milos Kerkez as a new starting left-back and fielded interest from Atletico Madrid in their long-serving Scotsman.

But Atleti shifted their focus elsewhere and Robertson stuck around, earning a promotion to the vice-captain role after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid.

Robertson isn’t the dynamic and marauding left-back he used to be, but will still be a dependable rotation option to allow Kerkez to bed in.

At times during pre-season, though, Robertson covered at centre-back. The 31-year-old may have to push for playing time there if Kerkez continues to get the nod at left-back.

Liverpool have lacked a left-footed centre-back for a while, so Robertson could help bring some balance to their options in the role as long as he maintains a strong positional awareness.

Slot is believed to have faith in Robertson to be relied upon as a centre-back and there might be opportunities to see him and Kerkez playing at the same time, rather than having to compete for a place at left-back one at once.

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Ryan Gravenberch

Last season, Gravenberch became one of Slot’s most-trusted players, starting 37 of their 38 Premier League games.

Slot oversaw Gravenberch’s transition into more of a holding midfielder as part of a double pivot, usually alongside Alexis Mac Allister.

After showcasing his uncovered defensive attributes alongside his possession-building skills, Gravenberch is one of the most functional players to Slot’s system.

But there have been instances of him being moved back into the defensive line by Slot when Liverpool are chasing games, allowing another forward to be brought on.

Now, Slot could consider using Gravenberch in an even deeper position from the start, although it might be more likely for his adaptation into that role to be more of a mid-match adjustment.

Amara Nallo

Clubs always have the option of picking from their youth ranks to cover any shortages in their squad, so Liverpool could give Nallo a couple of chances to break through.

Signed from West Ham in 2023, the 18-year-old made his debut against PSV in January, but it didn’t last long as he was sent off soon after.

The left-footer has plenty of time to develop further and if Liverpool want to use a natural centre-back, he has just escalated up their available pool of options.

Rhys Williams

In a previous time of crisis in defence, Williams was able to take his first strides into the Liverpool first team under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp in 2021.

Things haven’t developed the way Williams would have wanted since then and he spent last season on loan in League Two with Morecambe.

But there were no takers for the 24-year-old in the summer and he was back on the bench for the Carabao Cup game against Southampton recently.

Williams is in Liverpool’s 25-man squad list for the Premier League, too, despite last featuring in the competition in May 2021.