Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has admitted that it was special to see striker Raul Jimenez return to action in Saturday’s friendly against Crewe, eight months after suffering a head injury.
Jimenez was involved in a nasty head-on collision with Arsenal’s David Luiz on November 29, and although he was played again in May, everyone involved decided to delay his return further to ensure no risks were taken.
Eight months of hard work and rehabilitation have led to this moment.
We’re all proud of you, @ Raul_Jimenez9, and so happy to see you back out there.
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– Wolves (@Wolves) July 17, 2021
The Mexican striker put on a trendy protective headdress when he started Wolves’ first friendly before the season and hit the crossbar with a free kick as his side fell 1-0 to League One side Crewe on Saturday.
“It was a magical feeling,” Gibbs-White told the club’s official website about Jimenez’s return. “To see where he comes from, to come back so soon, we can only thank God – it’s a miracle. He has come back strong, he has put in so much work over time and everyone is happy to see him back.
“He just makes our game easier, he always moves, always offers for the ball, and when he’s in front of goal you know he’ll score. We just have to give him time, get him in shape and make sure he’s 100% in himself, and when he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.
“He is massive for us, how he works, what he brings to the game, the goals he scores. You saw last season, when he had the injury, when we did not have him, we were lost, so hopefully he can come back and score more goals for us.
“It makes us excited, because we know that our top scorer is back and ready to go. Playing with him makes our game so much easier because you always know where he will be, where he wants the ball and he can finish around the box. We can not wait for him to return to Molineux. ”
Jimenez’s return was one of the bright spots in an otherwise frustrating first outing for the team under new manager Bruno Lage, but Gibbs-White admitted he is keen to see what the new manager can do with a little more time.
“It’s going really well,” he continued. “The way he wants to play is really good for us and we are still trying to get used to how he wants to play.
“We had Nuno for four years, so the transition is completely different, but since he came in the door to the new boss he has been incredible, he has demanded and I enjoy working for him and look forward to seeing how things go.
Team’s first game did not go to plan / Visionhaus / Getty Images
“He always comes to us in training and tells us what he wants you to do, what positions he wants you to take up, which gives you confidence on the ball to play certain sessions, so I feel this will be a really good season for us to play football.
“He gives me confidence, with certain positions and passes, and he shows leadership that I can take on the field and try to impress. Fingers crossed, I begin. ”
