Former Chelsea defender Tino Livramento has been stretched off moments before half-time in Southampton's clash with Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Under no pressure from the opposition, the 19-year-old fell to the ground in discomfort after it seemed as if his right ankle gave way.
The Cobham graduate, who has been sensational at St Mary's since he left Stamford Bridge in the summer, was quickly consoled by Ralph Hasenhuttl and Chelsea loanee Armando Broja as he was carried off the pitch. The Saints manager held Livramento's head to try and calm him down, according to reports.
It appears to be a serious injury, though, without professional medical confirmation yet of how bad. The right-back has enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough season in the top flight. He's featured over 30 times for Southampton this term, directly contributing toward three goals.
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Livramento has caught the eye, leaving Chelsea fans to rue his departure. Earlier this week, the youngster insisted that he made the 'right decision' to leave the west London club.
"You look back, and I didn't have many changes through the academy. I stayed at Chelsea and signed every contract that they gave me," he told Hampshire Live. "Taking that step to decide to leave was massive, but it was well thought out. I took a lot of time and a lot of reasoning. At the end of the day, I just wanted to play first-team football consistently."
He referenced a concern with the number of minutes that Thomas Tuchel would offer him, despite the German recently revealing that the Blues would've preferred to loan Livramento out for the season, as opposed to selling him for £5million. However, the deal did include a buy-back clause.
Reece James' flurry of injuries this season has left Chelsea to rue Livramento's departure all the more. The Blues' buy-back clause is worth upwards of £25million, according to The Sun's Tom Barclay.
"I didn't realise I would play so much so early on, but I realised I would probably get more opportunities than I maybe would have got at Chelsea," he said. "It was the right decision for me, I felt.
"Maybe not everyone would have done what I did, and I am not saying what I did would work for everyone, but I looked at it for myself, and ultimately, it was what I felt was right for me."
