Liverpool’s Midfield Boosted by Thiago and Bajcetic
Liverpool supporters have a reason to cheer as two crucial midfield assets, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, are gearing up for their much-awaited return to the greens of Kirkby. As the new Premier League season inches closer, their re-emergence can’t be timelier.
Thiago’s battle with his hip flexor ailment, which led to surgery back in May, had kept him off the pitch. The Spanish maestro’s finesse and technique in the centre of the park have been sorely missed.
Stefan Bajcetic, the promising teenager, had his own share of tribulations. The stress response around his adductor led him to miss crucial games towards the end of the previous season. The Reds have been anticipating his comeback, given the gaping void left in the midfield.
According to reports by David Lynch for This Is Anfield, both these midfield talents are primed to join the training sessions this Saturday. Their return coincides with the team’s return from a pre-season stint in Singapore.
Klopp’s Conundrum
Jurgen Klopp has been scratching his head lately, especially with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho moving on. The gaffer’s midfield palette, thus, looks somewhat lean.
In the transfer realm, Liverpool’s pursuit of Southampton’s Romeo Lavia hasn’t borne fruit yet, having not met the £50 million mark. While the prodigious Andre Trindade from Fluminense seems to be on the radar, it’s still a budding prospect.
Even if Liverpool seal the deal for any of these midfield maestros, their presence in the starting XI for the Chelsea face-off on August 13 is a tad uncertain. New recruits, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, are raring to go, but the central defensive midfield role’s occupant remains an enigma. With Thiago and Bajcetic still in their recovery phase, Curtis Jones has shown promise, albeit with a bittersweet performance, as evident from the 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich in Singapore.
With the season opener on the horizon, Liverpool fans will be eagerly watching how the midfield puzzle pieces fit together.
