Expected return for Stefan Bajcetic: When might Liverpool’s injury-hit young talent be back?

 

 

Three years on from his Liverpool first-team breakthrough, Stefan Bajcetic appears further away than ever from reclaiming his place at Anfield.

Now 21, the midfielder’s progress has been repeatedly derailed by injuries. His promising 2022/23 season was cut short by an adductor problem in March 2023, before calf and back issues disrupted the following campaign, eventually leading to surgery last summer. His most recent outing for the Reds came in a 4-2 victory over Tottenham in Jürgen Klopp’s second-to-last home match, though loan spells with Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas in 2024/25 at least allowed him some regular game time.

Unfortunately, injury setbacks have continued this season. Bajcetic hasn’t featured in any competitive match for eight months. According to The Athletic, he had hoped to push for a Liverpool first-team role before Christmas, but a new hamstring injury is expected to keep him sidelined until at least late January. That blow has effectively ended any realistic chance of another loan move this month.

As a result, the Spaniard is likely to spend the remainder of the campaign playing under-21 football, unless he can somehow force his way into Arne Slot’s plans before the summer. When he burst onto the scene three years ago, Bajcetic was widely tipped to have “serious, serious potential,” with his standout display in a Merseyside derby at Anfield showcasing just how high his ceiling could be.

However, constant fitness problems have stalled his development, and since his breakthrough in early 2023, Liverpool’s midfield has undergone a major overhaul. That transformation has only made his path back into contention more difficult. Even once fully fit, he would need time to regain sharpness, making it unlikely he could handle the intensity of decisive Premier League or Champions League fixtures later in the season.

Still, Bajcetic has shown he can make an impact. During his loan at Las Palmas, he earned praise as a physical “bull,” and at just 21, time remains firmly on his side. If he can finally put his injury troubles behind him, there is no reason he cannot still carve out a successful top-level career.

The comeback may be slow — far slower than anyone hoped — but there is still optimism that the talented midfielder can rediscover the form of his breakthrough year and eventually emerge as a genuine first-team option for Slot sometime in 2026.