Raul Jimenez to return this season, says Wolves boss Nuno
Raul Jimenez is on track to play again this season for Wolves having made superb progress in his recovery from a fractured skull.
Boss Nuno Espirito Santo is ‘truly positive’ that the star striker, who required surgery after the injury against Arsenal at the end of November, will be back before 2020/21 is over.
The news on the Mexican comes as a massive boost to all of a Wolves persuasion, with the club previously being reluctant to put a time-frame on his return.
When asked if we could see Jimenez playing again before the campaign ends, Nuno – whose side are in action at Chelsea tomorrow (6pm) – said: “We are truly positive that this can happen.
“It’s very good news with the way he keeps improving day by day.
“His progress has not only surprised me, but also the medical staff.
“He’s improving in all his concussion tests that we did previously two seasons ago and he’s doing really, really well.
“Just by seeing him running and lifting weights, and doing all these strong training sessions, it is a big lift for everyone.
“First of all, it’s the man. It’s Raul. What we want back is Raul healthy and we will get him back as an important player for the team.
“It’s a big lift for us just having him around.”
Jimenez has been working on his fitness in the gym at Compton as of late.
Wolves will continue to monitor the situation very carefully with the help of his surgeon but are delighted with how he has been getting on.
“We have a medical plan and these things are very responsible decisions to be made,” said Nuno.
“How serious the injury was, and we have to be really patient and take the right decisions.
“This will require a decision from the surgeon, it requires tests and scans on the skull and all these things take time.
“We will follow and proceed according to the situation, we will not rush or take any kind of risks.”
On whether he has any concerns over Jimenez being mentally ready to compete for headers again, Nuno added: “That part is not a worry for us as he’s exactly the same guy, always smiling.
“He’s aware of the process he has to go through, confident that he wants to return stronger. On that part, we are not very worried, honestly.
“He has all the support of his partner and a beautiful baby girl.
“When you mention heading and how he can deal with the situation, how his brain is going to react to acceleration and deceleration, jumping and impact, that is another issue. That will come in time.”
