Brajković Misses Paphos Return Leg, Hajduk Fears ACL Tear
Young winger injured in training, awaiting MRI results, possible layoff of up to nine months.
Young winger injured in training, awaiting MRI results, possible layoff of up to nine months.
Roko Brajković (21), Hajduk's winger, will miss the return leg of the second qualifying round of the Europa League against Paphos after injuring his knee in Sunday's training session, Index.hr reports. The player underwent preliminary examinations the same day and is scheduled to have an MRI today, Monday, July 27, 2026.
According to Index's information, the club strongly suspects an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in the same leg that Brajković had surgery on as a child. Although Hajduk hopes the tests will show a milder injury that would keep him off the pitch for about a month, a more realistic prognosis is a severe outcome meaning at least six to nine months sidelined.
This season, Brajković established himself as a regular starter in coach Gonzalo García's system. He performed very well in the first leg against Paphos (2-0) at Poljud and scored a brilliant goal in the first qualifying round against Žilina. His absence on Thursday, July 30, will force the coach to look for an alternative on the right wing.
The young forward made his debut for Hajduk's first team in 2022 and got his first significant role in the spring of 2025 under then-coach Gennaro Gattuso. He secured a consistent starting position in 2026, and overall has made 52 appearances for the white shirt, scoring six goals and providing seven assists. Transfermarkt estimates his current value at one million euros. His contract with the club runs until the summer of 2029. Brajković is also a regular for Croatia's youth national teams, having earned seven caps for the U-21 side.
Hajduk won the first leg against Paphos 2-0, giving them a good position ahead of the return leg in Split. If they advance, they will face Austrian side Salzburg in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, needing to overcome two more hurdles to reach the group stage. If eliminated by Paphos, the Split club will continue their European journey in the third qualifying round of the Conference League, where they could face Žalgiris or Dinamo Tbilisi. Regardless of the outcome, the loss of their most expensive player according to Transfermarkt seriously weakens the team's attacking power in the crucial part of the qualifiers.
