Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on January 25, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on January 25, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on January 25, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
The Liverpool midfielder had an operation last month.
A Liverpool midfielder has undergone surgery during the off-season.
Stefan Bajcetic has been photographed after having an operation. Dr. Lasse Lempainen, who is based in Finland, is a sports orthopaedic with special expertise in lower limb surgery. Dr Lempainen posted a photo on Instagram alongside Bajcetic, who was on crutches, suggesting that the Spaniard went under the knife for a hamstring problem.
Dr Lempainen said: “Good luck for recovery Stefan Bajcetic 🔥🔥🔥Thank you for collaboration @liverpoolfc and @udlaspalmasoficial!”
The 20-year-old was a regular starter for Las Palmas after his arrival in January. He featured from the outset in 12 of his 14 appearances, with the highlight being a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid.
Bajcetic had been at Red Bull Salzburg during the opening half of the season. Although he made 19 outings for the Austrian club, including six in the Champions League, the sacking of former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders prompted Bajcetic’s exit.
But the Spain under-21 international’s injury means that he is at risk of missing the start of pre-season for Liverpool. The Premier League champions are due to return to the AXA Training Centre on 8 July and have a friendly scheduled against Preston North End on Sunday 13 July.
Bajcetic will be hoping that he can thrust his way back into Liverpool’s plans. He enjoyed an eye-catching breakthrough in 2022-23 where he played 19 games, scoring once. Bajcetic was a beacon of light during a tough period for Liverpool before suffering an adductor problem that required surgery.
As a result, he missed the majority of the 2023-24 campaign and was limited to two outings. But after getting back up to speed at Las Palmas, there have been some who feel Bajcetic could play a part next term. Ryan Gravenberch 37 league games en route to the title and there was no natural cover, with Wataru Endo chiefly used off the bench to see out victories.
“If you are that young and you’ve been out for so long, the only thing you need is playing time. He could have playing time over here, but we’ve got six or seven very good midfielders, so his playing time here will always be more limited than we expect him to play at Salzburg.
“So for him, and us, we think it’s best for him to play at the moment, instead of maybe playing a few times and then being on the bench for a long time again. It’s very difficult to keep a player fit who’s been out for 15 months when you only play him once in a while.
“So this is for the long term. Again, this club has been smart, in my opinion, in the past for not only looking for the short term, but also the long term. It’s a smart decision, at least in our opinion, to let him go somewhere, where he will hopefully play a lot of games. Then for next season, we’ll have a player. If he fulfils his potential, [he] could definitely, definitely play for us in the future.”
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