If you thought Liverpool's season couldn't get any worse following their defeat to Real Madrid, think again!

The Merseyside giants were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, with Jurgen Klopp's men losing 1-0 at Santiago Bernabeu in the round of 16. With the first leg ending in an embarrassing 5-2 defeat for the Premier League giants, Salah and Co. lost to the reigning champions 6-2 on aggregate.

With the club sitting sixth in the table, Liverpool have now lost one of two viable routes to next season's UEFA Champions League. Additionally, after crashing out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, Klopp's men will finish the season trophyless, with a top-four finish being their only achievable target.

Unfortunately, the Reds will have to pull this off in the absence of one key player and that is the highly-rated midfielder Stefan Bajcetic. The Spanish starlet confirmed this on social media, revealing in an emotional message that he will not play another game this season after suffering a stress response around the adductor.

"Unfortunately I've picked up an injury that will keep me out until the end of the season," the talented 18-year-old wrote on Instagram. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Stefan Bajcetic (@stefanbajcetic)

"It's very sad to say goodbye to this amazing season for me but I understand this is part of football and will only make me stronger physically and mentally.

"I would also like to say thank you to you Reds for all the support through the season and I assure you I will do my best to be back stronger than ever."

This is a huge blow as the teenager has been one of the few positives from Liverpool's disappointing season. The Spaniard has featured in 11 Premier League matches this season, six of which were starts, and was even in the lineup that faced Real Madrid in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 showdown.

His absence is just another injury in what has been a dreadful season for the Merseyside giants, with Thiago Alcantara, Luis Diaz, and Calvin Ramsey all missing significant portions of 2022/23.

The Reds will not be in action until after the international break as their clash with Fulham, which was initially scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed due to the FA Cup. Things will be difficult for Klopp's men after the break as they will face Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal in their next three games.