Right now, everything at Anfield is good. The season has started off well for Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0, and the reorganised midfield is starting to take shape with all the new players settling in right away.
However, Klopp’s new era at Liverpool is just getting started, and we have only seen a small sample of the players who will be crucial to the Reds’ success in the future. We may not even have seen some of them yet.
Stefan Bajčetić, who made headlines in the Liverpool first squad last year with his ease of settling in very quickly, will be one of those faces. The Serbian-born Spanish U21 international made a fast transition into the starting lineup and excelled in crucial matches, such as the derby against Everton.
But near the end of the season, he had an injury that prevented him from playing again until the following year. After missing the entire preseason, Bajčetić made his debut at right-back against LASK in late September after finally making his way back into the starting lineup.
For a guy who hasn’t truly filled that role at the senior level, it was a demanding request, but Bajčetić performed admirably and was also involved in Liverpool’s League Cup victory over Leicester City a few days later.
But after that, he experienced yet another setback in his recuperation, forcing him to miss more than a month of football once more. In reference to him, Klopp stated at Liverpool’s press conference prior to the Reds’ trip to Luton Town that he will have to be cautious as Bajčetić heals from his injury.
“No, we are unsure of his return date.” Once more, it’s one of these things with Stefan. Although everyone could see Stefan’s amazing quality, potential, and talent—what a player!—the physique was not yet prepared, according to Klopp.
These boys are still developing, and they are all unique. We have other players who have a different skeleton or body type, and although that’s good for some of them, it’s a little too early for others. All we need to do is apply the brake once more and bide our time till everything is okay. Then, Liverpool FC has a fantastic player at their disposal, but we cannot and will not use it at all. All we can do is wait.
He’s here, working out, going about his business, and we’re developing his [fitness]. We have to make sure that, not just once, but three times a week, we assist him in obtaining a body that demonstrates his excellence.
“We can’t use him right now, but that’s all. We will get there, and that will be fantastic news for the club.”
Bajčetić’s maturity on the Liverpool field makes it easy to forget how young he actually is. The midfield player had his 19th birthday less than two weeks ago. Developmental growth at this point is normal and inherent to football. For similar reasons, even club legend Steven Gerrard had to be held back.
Bajčetić will be handled cautiously by Liverpool, but it’s clear from Klopp’s remarks that he will not overlook his genius. The young player still has a lot of potential to be a key component of Liverpool 2.0, and eventually he will get the chance to demonstrate it on the pitch once more.