Raul Jimenez: Wolves striker given all-clear to resume heading and will return next season
Raul Jimenez given all-clear to resume heading and is expected to return next season; Wolves forward will return to full training in July ahead of upcoming Premier League season and will play with a protective headguard for the rest of his career
Wednesday 19 May 2021 21:57, UK
Raul Jimenez is expected to play a "full part" in Wolves' upcoming season after having been given the all-clear to resume heading although he will play with a protective headguard for the rest of his career.
Jimenez suffered a fractured skull in November last year during Wolves' Premier League clash at Arsenal following a clash of heads with David Luiz.
The Mexico international has been back in training for a number of weeks and underwent tests with a specialist on Tuesday to determine whether he could make a comeback before the end of the season.
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Wolves club doctor Matt Perry says Jimenez will return to full training in July ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
"Raul was seriously injured six months ago on 29th November and underwent emergency surgery for a major traumatic brain injury and skull fracture (TBI) at St Mary's Hospital Paddington," Perry said in an update on Wednesday.
"Since then, he has been under the care and supervision of his neurosurgeon at St Mary's, Miss Sophie Camp, and Professor Tony Belli of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, as well as the medical team at Compton.
"His skull fracture has now healed well; he will wear a protective headguard to cover the area of bony injury for the remainder of his career, but it is adjudged strong enough for him to return to play with this protection.
"A brain injury such as concussion can take weeks and months to recover fully and TBI will sometimes leave lasting deficits. It is wonderful to be able to say that Raul has made a remarkable and excellent recovery to date.
"He has no measurable signs of deficit and is now at the stage when he can contemplate a return to the career he loves; but a degree of caution is still required.
"Raul has been able to progress from basic fitness work into full competitive training from early March; only holding back on powered heading and aerial duels. He has now received the all clear to start these activities and is physically as fit, strong and agile as ever.
"Further match-based rehabilitation will start in July and will be tightly controlled initially. This respects the fact that although his recovery appears to be total there is a big step from training to competition.
"We are hugely grateful to Professor Tony Belli and Miss Sophie Camp with their guidance and advice on his management, and Miss Camp and her colleagues at St Mary's for the life and career-saving surgery in the few hours that followed Raul's initial injury.
"We hope and expect that Raul will be able to play a full part in Wolves' 2021/22 season."
Wolves host Manchester United at Molineux in their final Premier League game of the season on Sunday at 5pm.
