Injury-hit youngster ‘ready to hit the ground running’ under Arne Slot

Having seen Thiago Alcantara play just a few minutes of football last season, Liverpool fans know what it’s like to have a gifted player unavailable due to injury.

And, now that the Spaniard has left the club, the hope is another precious midfielder won’t suffer the same misfortune going into an exciting new campaign.

As coach Arne Slot and his squad switch their focus to pre-season friendlies in the USA, they have received a boost in the shape of 19-year-old Stefan Bajcetic.

Blighted by a calf injury during 2023/24, compounding his growth issues, the Spaniard played just three matches last season for the Reds.

But now he's returned to the fold - and at just the right time.

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Bajcetic ready for ‘immediate’ return

Indeed, according to The Athletic, Liverpool expect to have Bajcetic fit and firing “immediately”.

His return marks the end of a drawn-out and challenging journey back to full fitness, where he’s undergone an “extensive recovery programme”, as the report puts it.

Thankfully for Bajectic and Liverpool’s medical department, he seems to have turned a corner during the off-season, as he is now training hard with the rest of the squad.

Liverpool v Leicester City - Carabao Cup Third Round Stefan Bajcetic of Liverpool running during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City at Anfield on September 27, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool Anfield England United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xWillxPalmer/Sportsphoto/APLx 13957449

More encouraging still, the youngster will likely stay at Anfield rather than continue his career elsewhere, with the same report adding that “there’s little appetite to leave this summer despite plenty of clubs showing interest”.

That seems appropriate, given he’s become part of the furniture at Liverpool, where he’s been for three and a half years. Moreover, the club has been meticulous in helping him recover as thoroughly and speedily as possible.

So, in a fresh managerial setup, what might the future hold for Bajcetic?

An exciting prospect for Slot

A new coach at the helm means a new opportunity for players to impress and force a way into the first team.

Of course, alongside Bajectic, Liverpool already have midfield options in Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Wataru Endo, who were among those who stepped up in the teenager’s absence last season.

But if Bajcetic can stay injury-free under Slot, who has a track record of developing young talents and is implementing his own playing style, Bajcetic will feel like a new signing in the fresh setup.

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