Wolves striker Raul Jimenez has already set his sights on a return after fracturing his skull in Sunday’s win on the road at Arsenal. The Mexican sustained the horrific injury following a sickening clash of heads with Gunners defender David Luiz at the Emirates Stadium and the incident overshadowed a fine performance on the road from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Jimenez was attempting to head the ball away from his own six-yard box when he collided with his opponent Luiz, who was also left bloodied before controversially continuing until half-time, when he was subbed off by Mikel Arteta.
The 29-year-old was forced to undergo surgery in a London hospital on Sunday night after receiving oxygen on the pitch, during a 10-minute delay.
Wolves issued a statement yesterday morning, conforming that their No 9 was ‘comfortable’ in hospital and in the company of his wife Daniela.
It read: “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.
“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.”
Now Jimenez appears to have eased fears that the injury could be career-threatening, as he targets a comeback.
He tweeted: “Thanks for your support messages. I will be under observation and I hope to return to the pitch soon.”
After the game, Wolves boss Nuno confirmed that Jimenez was “aware” and “speaking” in hospital after regaining consciousness.
Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy and Jack Grealish were among those to send their well-wishes to Jimenez on social media.
Former Tottenham and England midfielder Ryan Mason was forced to retire back in 2018 while playing for Hull, following a similar incident which saw him fracture his skull during a clash with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill.
The 29-year-old, who nearly lost his life as a result of the coming together, has been left angered that Luiz was given the green-light to continue for an additional 40 minutes after being bandaged up on the touchline.
“I was quite upset to see something like that happen on a football pitch again, it’s very concerning,” Mason told talkSPORT.
“It’s a real shame my incident didn’t change the perception; what is it really going to take for people to start realising this is something really, really serious?
“I’ll be honest, I was shocked David Luiz was allowed to play on. I’m not criticising the Arsenal doctor because there’s a protocol in place and I’m sure he’s followed that.
“But that protocol that is currently in place is not enough; it’s not enough just to have two or three minutes, it’s not enough.
“It was a bad one; the noise, the impact, the speed of the challenge as well – it was a bad one. It didn’t help that there were no fans and you could actually hear the point of contact.”
