Liverpool are still backing youngster despite injury struggles | OneFootball

Liverpool maintain belief in Bajcetic level despite long injury absence

Liverpool’s internal assessment of Stefan Bajcetic has remained strikingly consistent, even after a frustrating spell that threatened to stall his momentum. While the midfielder has not featured competitively for over a year, the view at Anfield is that his long-term level has not shifted downward. Instead, patience and careful management are shaping the next phase of his career.

Bajcetic’s emergence during the 2022/23 season was driven by necessity but sustained by quality. Thrust into senior action amid a midfield shortage, he quickly demonstrated positional intelligence, composure in possession and a tactical maturity beyond his years. Those traits, Liverpool believe, have not disappeared during his rehabilitation.

Bajcetic recovery process monitored closely

The defining challenge has been physical rather than technical. A serious hamstring injury ultimately required surgery over the summer, ruling Bajcetic out for the entirety of the current campaign to date. His absence has inevitably prompted questions about whether such a long lay-off could lower the ceiling of his development.

From Liverpool’s perspective, that fear is unfounded. Club staff have closely monitored his recovery and training output, with confidence that his athletic condition and footballing sharpness can be restored. Reports from within the training environment suggest there are no lingering concerns over his ability to return to previous performance levels.

Importantly, Liverpool have resisted the temptation to rush his comeback. Instead, the plan is methodical, with Bajcetic expected to re-enter competitive action via the Under-21s before any consideration of senior involvement. This staged return reflects both medical caution and a desire to protect a player viewed as a long-term asset.

Liverpool midfield context shapes opportunity

Liverpool’s evolving midfield structure under Arne Slot has subtly increased the relevance of Bajcetic’s profile. The squad lacks natural depth in certain roles, particularly those requiring positional discipline combined with press resistance. Bajcetic, at his best, offers precisely that balance.

Internally, there is an acceptance that recruitment may be revisited if gaps persist, but there is also recognition that Bajcetic could negate the need for external solutions if he re-establishes himself. That belief is central to Liverpool’s ongoing evaluation of his level.

Crucially, the club’s confidence is not based on nostalgia or sentiment. It is grounded in data, training performance and historical benchmarks. When Bajcetic first stepped into the senior side, he did so without compromising standards. Liverpool’s view is that those standards remain attainable.

Level expectation unchanged at Anfield

Perhaps the most telling indicator is that Liverpool’s expectation of Bajcetic’s level has not been revised. There is no sense internally that his ceiling has lowered, only that the timeline to reach it has extended. In an environment increasingly shaped by short-term pressures, that long-term perspective is notable.

That does not guarantee immediate reintegration into first-team plans. There is an understanding that match sharpness, rhythm and confidence must be rebuilt incrementally. However, the underlying belief is that Bajcetic can still become a reliable senior option, rather than a squad afterthought.

For a club that places significant emphasis on internal development, Bajcetic remains a test case. His journey back will be closely watched, not just for what it says about his individual resilience, but for what it reveals about Liverpool’s capacity to preserve and restore elite potential.

In that sense, the conversation around Bajcetic is less about recovery and more about confirmation. Liverpool are waiting to see not if he can return, but how quickly he can demonstrate that the level they once saw is still firmly within reach.