At Wolverhampton, Raúl Jiménez’s absence has become the central concern ahead of the local derby, but César Peixoto has moved to calm fears over the Mexican forward’s condition. The Wolves coach insists the injury is genuine, rejecting suggestions from the West Bromwich camp that it might have been used as a pre-match ploy.
The news from the club
Peixoto said Jiménez’s knee problem is less serious than first feared and described the diagnosis as encouraging for Wolves, with the striker expected to return in the near future.
“It is not as serious as we initially thought,” Peixoto said. “It appears to be a fairly simple injury and I hope he can be back soon, so that is positive news for us.”
The Portuguese coach had hoped Jiménez might be available, but confirmed that the forward will not take part in the derby. He was equally firm in addressing the doubts raised by West Bromwich’s manager, saying there had been no attempt to mislead an opponent.
“I do not lie or play mind games with anyone,” Peixoto said. “He will definitely not play.”
A key absence after the Everton match
Jiménez suffered the knee issue during Wednesday’s meeting with Everton. The setback has ruled him out not only of Wolves’ Premier League derby but also Mexico’s squad for the upcoming international window.
Peixoto acknowledged the importance of the Mexican international to Wolves’ attacking options, while maintaining that the rest of the group must carry the responsibility during his recovery.
“He is an important player for us,” the coach said. “Naturally, we are stronger with Raúl, but football brings these situations. We must manage it, remain competitive and get him back as quickly as possible.”
