Wolverhampton Wanderers have provided an update on their official website about Raul Jimenez’s injury as they revealed that the Mexican centre-forward suffered a fractured skull in the early goings of the match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. The West Midlands club issued a statement on the striker’s condition which read (via wolves.co.uk),
“Raul is comfortable following an operation last night, which he underwent in a London hospital.
“He has since seen his partner Daniela and is now resting. He will remain under observation for a few days while he begins his recovery.
“The club would like to thank the medical staff at Arsenal, the NHS paramedics, hospital staff and surgeons who, through their skill and early response, were of such help.
“The club ask that Raul and his family are now afforded a period of space and privacy, before any further updates are provided in due course.”
Jimenez’s recent injury makes him a major doubt for the Liverpool clash this weekend which will be a bitter pill to swallow for Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo despite his team’s impressive 2-1 win over the Gunners on Sunday.
Jimenez’s Form At The Molineux Stadium This Season
The 29-year-old has banged in four goals in 11 appearances for the Midlands outfit this term across multiple competitions. However, he has struggled to find consistency in the final third as he is only averaging 2.6 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in Premier League football this season. Still, he deserves praise for distributing the ball relatively well as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 79.2% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
What Does The Mexican Attacker Offer On The Pitch?
Jimenez is a deceptively quick marksman as he is not shy of going on long sprints when allowed time and space by the opposition defenders. Standing at 1.88m, he can be an intimidating presence inside the opponent’s penalty box because he can use his strong frame to outmuscle his marker and win a few headers in the final third.
The 82-time Mexican international has established himself as a prolific forward in the Premier League since arriving from Benfica last year. He doesn’t have too many weaknesses in his game which explains why Nuno Espirito Santo has relied on him so much over the past 18 months.
Losing Jimenez To Injury: Big Blow For Wolves?
There is no denying Jimenez’s influence in the Wolves first-team is immense, so losing him to injury will be a massive blow for the West Midlands giants heading into the clash against the Premier League champions at Anfield on Sunday night. In the Mexican’s absence, Nuno Espirito Santo will continue to rely on Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto and Fábio Silva to do most of the damage up top.
