Liam Keen
Published25th Mar 2026, 16:35 GMT
Updated27th Mar 2026, 09:36 GMT
Sasa Kalajdzic has had terrible luck since joining Wolves for around £15million in 2022.
He suffered a serious knee injury on his debut and after a long recovery period, he suffered the same devastating injury while on loan at German side Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kalajdzic has only played 16 times for Wolves and in the summer he returned to his homeland to join Austrian side LASK on a season-long loan, where he has made 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
For an insight into his loan spell and potential future, we spoke to sports journalist Gunther Mayrhofer at Austrian newspaper Oberosterreichische Nachrichten (OON).
Overall, how would you rate Kalajdzic's loan at LASK?
I believe that by the end of the season it could become a win-win-win situation.
Kalajdzic has regained fitness during the season at LASK and has been able to get match practice, LASK got a difference-maker for the decisive part of the league in Austria, while Wolverhampton will get back a player in good form who has gained confidence.
Has he been able to hold down a place and play regularly?
The situation was difficult for Kalajdzic. He was signed late, missed the team’s pre-season, and joined a side that was really struggling under the coach at the time, Joao Sacramento.
On the one hand it was obvious that Sasa has huge potential, but on the other hand it was just as clear that after such a long injury layoff he was still lacking a lot to truly be match-fit.
Sasa Kalajdzic suffers an ACL injury on his debut (Getty)placeholder image
Sasa Kalajdzic suffers an ACL injury on his debut (Getty)
In the first few weeks he played more and longer than his body could really handle. Sacramento’s time ended after eight rounds, and the new coach, Didi Kuhbauer, is much better at getting the best out of the players.
For Kalajdzic, that meant he had to wait on the bench. Until the end of the autumn he was mainly used as a substitute.
The winter preparation for the spring campaign was the next step. Sasa completed it without any problems and has been a regular starter since the first match of the year - only in the final game of the regular season last weekend was he not in the starting XI, as Kuhbauer gave him a rest. Kalajdzic is now fit and improving with every game.
What position/formation has he best been used in?
LASK plays in a 5-3-2 system, where he is one of the two strikers. If the team needs to chase a deficit, he plays as a number 10.
He has only scored once, but what else has he brought to his game?
The goals and assists will come.
Sasa is not a classic centre-forward or pure goalscorer. He often drops into midfield, holds up the ball there and distributes it to his team-mates.
There have already been several passes that really should have been converted. Now that he is fit, he has become a player who can make the difference in every game - one of the best individual players in the Austrian Bundesliga.
What have been his biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses?
His biggest weakness when he arrived was his fitness. He is not quite at 100 per cent yet, but by the summer he should be at the highest possible physical level.
It’s no secret that Kalajdzic is not particularly fast. However, for a player of his height he is technically strong and has good vision.
He is very good at holding up the ball. He also reads situations well and is a genuine team player.
Sasa Kalajdzic (Getty)placeholder image
Sasa Kalajdzic (Getty)
How has his LASK form impacted his national team call-up?
Kalajdzic was called up to the national team by Austria’s head coach Ralf Rangnick. It is his first time back in the squad in two years.
Rangnick said about Kalajdzic: “It feels like we spoke on the phone once a month, maybe even a bit more recently. For him, the main priority was to become fully healthy again.”
In my opinion, if Kalajdzic is fit he will definitely be part of the World Cup squad this summer.
Kalajdzic himself said: “I feel very good at the moment, but I’m not yet at 100 per cent.
"I’ve said that many times already, but it also wouldn’t be fair to expect that of myself after such a long time. Still, I’m on a really good path.”
He also commented on his future: “Right now, it’s not a topic at all to talk about my future. That would be unprofessional and wouldn’t make any sense, because things seem to change every week. For now, I’m focused on the here and now and I’m happy to be here.”
If he returned to Wolves, how would he suit a Championship campaign next season?
Sasa will have to adapt to the different style of play in the EFL Championship.
Quality will not be the issue - provided the playing idea at Wolverhampton Wanderers suits him.
Kalajdzic is not a true centre-forward and not really a classic number 10 either. In terms of playing style, I would compare him to Nick Woltemade of Newcastle United. Using him as a traditional target man simply because of his height, expecting him to finish crosses with headers, will not work. I believe he functions best in a two-striker system.
Would LASK have any interest in keeping him for next season?
From a sporting perspective, LASK would love to keep him, but that is completely out of the question.
The club simply cannot afford his wages, let alone a transfer fee. I think Kalajdzic would like to try again outside Austria and might only return towards the end of his career.
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