New Bristol City goalkeeper Stefan Bajic has revealed he is still “a few weeks away” from full fitness after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this summer.
Bajic became City’s fourth signing of this window when he arrived at Ashton Gate earlier this month on a free transfer having departed Ligue 2 side Pau. The move is still subject to visa clearance although Bristol Live understands the Robins are confident there will be no issues around fulfilling the necessary criteria.
Upon arrival, it was detailed by the club that Bajic was recovering from “minor wrist surgery”. He has been seen at the Robins High Performance Centre during both friendlies against Cheltenham Town and Portsmouth but only as a spectator with the goalkeeper spots occupied by Dan Bentley and Max O’Leary.
In an interview with L’Equipe, the 20-year-old has admitted he’s still recovering from his operation and, based on his words, could miss the whole of pre-season with the start of the 2022/23 campaign just two weeks away and City’s last friendly a week on Saturday at Bournemouth.
“I'm recovering from wrist surgery,” he told L’Equipe. “In February, I got injured. I was in pain but I was unaware that I had a scaphoid fracture. It was only at the end of the season that I did X-rays and it was detected.
"The club don't want to take any risks and they still need a few weeks to recover. I also work on the side: footwork, I do lower body weight training."
The delay over Bajic’s availability is likely to be behind why O’Leary hasn’t been loaned out, as was the plan earlier this month, as City can’t afford to let the 25-year-old go while uncertainty remains over the new man’s likely injury return.
MK Dons have since moved on, re-signing Jamie Cumming, Exeter City are waiting to see when O’Leary might become available and there are other clubs in League One in need of a goalkeeper retaining an interest in the City academy product, who played 60 minutes against Portsmouth having been benched for the whole of the 2-0 win over Cheltenham.
Bajic has also confirmed he turned down French club Valenciennes in order to move to Ashton Gate and he has spent time analysing games in the Championship in preparation of the transfer to England, the first time he would have played outside the French domestic game.
“I was a bit like any Frenchman when it comes to the Championship: I didn't know too much,” Bajic added. “This Championship has nothing to do with Ligue 2, there is a very good level.
“It's a very physical Championship. The goalkeeper is much less protected there than in France. In the aerial field, I will have to be twice as efficient.
“There is also the management of my zone. A goalie doesn't just have to be good on the line. To be higher in my positioning, to manage the depth which is one of my strong points. Footwork too. In England, it is very developed. The blocks are higher.”
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