Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, Raul Jimenez has scored his first goal since he sustained a fractured skull in November 2020. The 30-year-old Mexican center-forward returned to the scoresheet on Saturday, July 31, 2021, during a friendly game between Wolves and Stoke City.
His return on the scoresheet saved the Premier League club from being defeated by a Championship side. Wolves were losing 1-0 when he scored his first goal for almost a year.
The 30th-minute goal of the Mexican striker canceled out that of Danny Batth of Stoke City to give the Premier League club a hard-earned away draw in the pre-season game.
Pure. Joy. 💛
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 31, 2021
Extended highlights 👉 https://t.co/2XCxOWC5yO pic.twitter.com/1hCJ42AqZ5
Jimenez was allowed to play for 74 minutes before he was substituted which is one of the longest minutes the Mexico international has spent on the pitch since November last year.
Recall that on November 29, 2020, Raul Jimenez was involved in a brutal head collision between him and Arsenal’s defender David Luiz during a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium.
After the collision, Jimenez came out as the main victim. The medical team at the stadium spent minutes to keep him alive before he was rushed to a hospital.
Afterward, it was announced that he sustained a fractured skull and would have to be operated upon. Then, the fear was that he might never return to competitive football again.
However, the Mexican international engaged in a rigorous recovery process for months off the pitch. It took him over six months before he started engaging in contact training.
Since Wolves commenced pre-season training and friendly games ahead of the 2021-2022 season, Raul Jimenez has been fully involved which means that the 30-year-old striker would be fully available for the club when the season kicks off.
With Raul Jimenez’s goal, the new coach of Wolves, Bruno Lage would be very excited about what the Mexican striker could bring to the table when the season resumes this month.
Recall that Bruno Lage replaced Nuno Espirito Santo after a disappointing 2020-2021 season and he is expected to take the club to a new height in his first season as the manager of the club.
Ahead of the club’s friendly match against a lower league side, Coventry scheduled to kick-off at 13:00 today, August 1, the club’s coach urged the club’s fans not to live in the past.
He said: “We cannot live from the past. I was here when they started this cycle of four years, because I was at Sheffield Wednesday, and I could see what the previous staff and players did for the club.
“From the Championship, winning the league, and to the Europa League. Brilliant.
“Now, we need to understand one thing. No one lives in the past or the future. Whether you were a good player or will be a good player is not important – it is day by day.”
