Wolves’ veteran striker Raul Jimenez is officially sidelined until January, a brutal blow coming after news his left knee medial collateral ligament injury simply hasn’t responded to treatment as hoped. The 35-year-old Mexico international, a crucial piece for Wolves, is now slated for surgery later this week, a development that absolutely changes the outlook for the squad.
Jimenez’s Injury Takes A Nasty Turn
This isn’t just a bump in the road; this is a full-blown crisis for Wolves’ attack. Jimenez initially went down seven minutes before halftime in that 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Everton back on September 16. What was hoped to be a manageable injury has spiraled, with director of performance Phil Hayward confirming the worst. “Unfortunately Raul’s injury has not responded as we expected,” Hayward said. He explained that a low-grade ligament injury normally heals itself, but after three weeks of regular scanning, Jimenez’s ligament just wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. So, the decision was made: “he’ll have the surgery on Friday in London, and then he’ll have around three months of rehabilitation before he’s ready to play again.” That means Jimenez is out until January, a massive chunk of the season without their experienced striker. You just know that’s a tough pill to swallow for the team.
Some Good News Amidst The Storm
While the Jimenez news is a gut punch, there are at least some positive updates on other injured Wolves players. Rodrigo Gomes, who injured a couple of ligaments in his ankle, is “progressing well.” It’s still early days, and he’s waiting for the inflammation to settle, but Hayward assures us it’s “not going to be a long-term one, so he should be back reasonably quickly.” Then there’s Bertrand Traore, who’s been dealing with a hamstring issue. It’s a “fairly small injury,” but located in a tricky spot that could recur if not managed carefully. Still, he’s “doing really well, working hard and won’t be too long.” And finally, Boubacar Traore, who was out a couple of weeks with a calf problem, is already back on the pitch with rehab coaches. He’s “progressing nicely” and should be back in full training in the next week or two. It’s a mixed bag, for sure, but getting those other guys back sooner rather than later will be crucial to mitigate the loss of Jimenez.
Wolves are currently sitting ninth in the Championship table, just outside the play-off places on goal difference. They’ve got a crucial away game coming up against Burnley on Friday evening. Without Jimenez leading the line, every other forward is going to have to step up big time if they want to keep pace and make a run at those play-off spots. This team needs to rally, because losing a player of Jimenez’s caliber for months is a challenge they can’t afford to take lightly.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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