Wolverhampton striker Raul Jimenez has revealed that the doctors that attended to his fractured skull didn’t believe he would survive the injury. He said the doctors described his survival as a miracle.
Raul Jimenez made headlines in November 2020 when he was involved in a head collision with Arsenal’s defender David Luiz during a Premier League game.
The Mexican striker was the worst affected by the collision and was rushed to the hospital straight from the match venue. Afterward, he underwent surgery to treat the fractured skull.
Since November 2020, the Mexican striker could not play any competitive game and it was looking like the 30-year-old Mexico international would not play any competitive football again.
However, during this summer pre-season, doctors gave him the go-ahead to commence training and subsequently reunited with Wolves for all the pre-season sessions the club had before the 2021-2022 season kicked off.
On Saturday, August 14, 2021, Raul Jimenez stunned the world when he plays his first competitive game in 8 months. He didn’t just play the Premier League game which was against Leicester City, he played the entire 90 minutes. Unfortunately for Wolves, Leicester City won by a lone goal.
Esperé casi 9 meses por este momento, para volver a competir y hoy estoy de vuelta. Un resultado que nos deja un mal sabor de boca
— Raúl Jiménez (@Raul_Jimenez9) August 14, 2021
I waited almost 9 months for this moment, waited to compete again and I'm back. Not the result we wanted but this is gonna help us to grow as a team pic.twitter.com/DHAGmaHR2g
In a press conference after the game, Raul Jimenez narrated how he bounced back to match fitness after he fractured his skull in a Premier League game between Wolves and Arsenal last year.
While praising the hard work of the medical doctors that attended to him after the collision, Jimenez revealed that the collision was so bad that it left him with blood in his brain which was later cleared through surgery.
Jimenez said: “Since the first moment, the surgeons and doctors told me what happened and the risks. Sometimes it’s not what you want to hear but it’s their job. They told me it was a miracle to be here.
“The bone had broken and there was a little bit of bleeding inside my brain. That’s why the surgery had to be quick and it was a really good job from the doctors.
“Since the beginning, they were really supportive of me. The skull fracture took a little bit longer than we all expected to heal and it really is a miracle for me to be here with you.”
Since Raul Jimenez recovered from the incident and started making public appearances, he has been subjected to wearing headgears. The headgear are said to be specially designed for heading, full-contact training, and football games.
Due to how bad the injury was, the major fear amongst the fans of Wolves was that the Mexican striker could stop playing football due to the injury.
However, Raul Jimenez said despite the doubt hovering over his chances of returning to the pitch, he was always confident that he would play competitive football again.
“I always thought it was maybe like an ankle injury or a knee injury, and after my recovery, I’ll be back to do what I love to do,” he said.
“I never thought about finishing my career or stopping playing. There was a chance of that, but I was always confident I was going to return.”
Raul Jimenez is expected to return to action against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, August 22, 2021, at 14:00.
