Stefan Bajcetic next challenge obvious before new Liverpool manager appointed
Stefan Bajcetic made his long-awaited return to Liverpool action as the U21s beat Manchester United 3-0 on Friday
In what has been a season to forget for Stefan Bajcetic, the first tentative step towards an exciting future was taken at Old Trafford on Friday evening.
Having established himself as a first-team member during his impressive breakout campaign of last term, when he featured 19 times for Jurgen Klopp's side, it's been a tale largely of woe for the teenager over the past year or so.
An adductor muscle injury, sustained 13 months ago in a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth, has had a huge impact on Bajcetic's growth as a player and having successfully remodelled their engine room in the summer months with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool have been careful to take their time with the youngster since.
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Bajcetic's only start since that loss at Bournemouth on March 11, 2023 came as a right-back in the 3-1 win at LASK in the first game of the Europa League group stages way back in September.
It was a run-out that lasted an hour before he added a further 11 minutes to the overall tally in the victory over Leicester City in the League Cup later that month. Seventy-two minutes of football in 13 months suggests there is time to make up for as far as the combative Spaniard is concerned.
So it will have been seen as a major step forward for Bajcetic on Friday as he played his part in a Liverpool U21s side that dismantled their Manchester United hosts 3-0 in the Premier League 2.
Having been given the chance to return to the senior squad for Thursday's 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie, Bajcetic was given the nod at United for Barry Lewtas's youngsters the following evening in what will be viewed as vital minutes.
The 19-year-old patrolled the base of the midfield on the night, snapping into tackles and pressing hard to win possession back and he was even able to claim an assist for a pass that was finished off by Kaide Gordon.
It's an unfortunate situation for Bajcetic that injuries have limited his ability to have a proper influence on the final season under Klopp but the longer term looks to be an exciting period for a player who cost just £600,000 when Liverpool were able to snare him ahead of United themselves at the end of 2020.
As each first-team fixture takes on increasing significance in the grander scheme of the season, the teen is likely to find senior game-time hard to come by, but just having him available for selection after a year of growth-related issues will be a boost for the squad.
The real challenge for Bajcetic to take on now is to get himself as close to 100% as possible between now and the end of the campaign before ensuring he returns for pre-season under a new manager is perfect condition to become a via, long-term option for a midfield area that is now stacked with quality.
If the Reds' midfield does have a wide variety of skillsets in it, however, there is only 31-year-old Endo who is as naturally defensive as Bajcetic, who initially started his team in the Academy ranks as a centre-back.
Such was his rise to prominence in the senior set-up, in fact, that for a long time he was still listed as a centre-back on the club's Under-18s pages while he was starring in central midfield for Klopp's team.
Now, though, despite his re-emergence for the U21s at Old Trafford, there is no mistaking that Bajcetic is a first-team player with a lot more to contribute. The demand now is that he shows that to whoever comes after Klopp.