Liverpool midfielder who is 'an absolute joy' to miss Southampton clash amid injury problems

It’s a chance for the fringe players to get minutes under their belt - and attempt to catch the eye of Arne Slot.

When Liverpool face Southampton in the Carabao Cup third round tonight, wholesale changes are in the offing. It is entirely feasible that the entire starting XI will be different from the 2-1 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Certainly, there will be opportunities for Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa. Curtis Jones will get minutes after recovering from injury, while there will likely be debuts for Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni.

There are also expected to be youngsters who make up the squad as the likes of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch will be given the night off. Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni are highly rated and are set to be involved.

However, it is looking highly unlikely that Stefan Bajcetic will feature. In terms of talent and potential, the midfielder could even be in a higher bracket than Danns and Nyoni. It was not all that long ago when Bajcetic was starting Premier League and Champions League games for the Reds aged 18.

The Spaniard made his breakthrough in the 2022-23 campaign when Liverpool, by their own high standards in recent years, were struggling. Jurgen Klopp decided to hand Bajcetic an opportunity and he grasped it. Mo Salah labelled the former Celta Vigo man as one of the Reds’ best players after a 2-0 win over Everton, while he was lauded as outstanding by former captain Jordan Henderson.

Former manager Klopp was also highly impressed. "So far there were no signs we have to rest him, which is good for us,” said Klopp. “Stefan played exceptional and not because he is only 18, he just played exceptional.

"Top talent, super player. Played really good for us so far. Since he is with us it is a pure joy to work with him. I think the mix of Serbia and Spain is a good one for football. If you meet him he is a top, intelligent boy and it is a joy to work together.

"The interesting thing is his dad and Thiago’s dad played together for Celta Vigo so not only Thiago, but Thiago as well took him under his wing. He has a great bunch of players around him that he can work from and he is an absolute joy."

When Bajcetic suffered an injury before a Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Real Madrid, having started the 5-2 defeat at Anfield, it was a hammer blow. Since sustaining that adductor problem that required surgery, Bajcetic’s Liverpool career has stagnated. He spent the majority of 2023-24 on the treatment table, playing just three senior games.

Last term, after Slot succeeded Klopp in the Anfield hot seat, Bajcetic was loaned to Red Bull Salzburg. It was regarded as a prudent decision to get him regular minutes at the club who’d be competing in the Champions League. More importantly, he was taken under the wing of Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders.

But a disastrous spell for Lijnders, which resulted in him being sacked before Christmas, also had ramifications on Bajcetic. He left Salzburg in January and rather than returning to Anfield, moved to his native Spain where he joined Las Palmas.

While the Gran Canaria-based outfit failed to retain their La Liga status, Bajcetic got the regular minutes he yearned for. The Spain under-21 international made 14 appearances but sustained a hamstring setback in a 1-0 loss against Sevilla. That problem required him to go under the knife yet again.

And since having an operation, Bajcetic is still to make a return to action. He was not included in Slot’s squad for the pre-season tour of Asia and has yet to be spotted training with Salah, van Dijk and Co.

Given he has not played a match in five months, the plan for Bajcetic will likely be to get him minutes for the under-21s before reintegrating him to the first team. Aged only 20, there is still time for Bajcetic to establish himself at Liverpool.

Based on his performances during his breakthrough, it would be folly for the Reds to not be patient with him. The fact that Barcelona tried to sign him last year underlines his quality. However, it will be a while longer before Bajcetic is back in a red shirt.