In Wolverhampton, Raúl Jiménez faces a longer road back to European football than first expected. The Mexican forward will undergo surgery on his left knee in London on Friday after a four-week attempt to manage the injury without an operation failed to produce the required progress.
Wolves change course after Everton injury
Jiménez injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during Wolves’ match against Everton. Initial assessments offered hope that the ligament could recover through conservative treatment, allowing him to avoid surgery and return sooner.
That recovery has since stalled. Wolves’ medical staff have opted for an operation to establish a clearer timetable for the striker’s return.
Phil Hayward, the club’s performance director, said the aim had been to let the ligament heal naturally, but the latest examinations showed that progress had plateaued. Surgery, he explained, would give the club greater certainty over Jiménez’s rehabilitation and eventual comeback.
The procedure will be carried out by a specialist surgeon in London. It is not expected to involve a full ligament reconstruction; instead, the damaged ligament will be reattached to the tibia.
Three-month recovery target
Wolves expect Jiménez to be unavailable for around three months, placing a possible return in January. The forward now begins a carefully staged rehabilitation programme after what had initially appeared to be a more manageable setback.
- During the first two weeks, the focus will be on allowing the surgical wound to settle while maintaining muscle strength through targeted work.
- From the second week, Jiménez is scheduled to begin active rehabilitation in the gym and swimming pool.
- By week four, the plan is for him to progress towards full weight-bearing and the first impact-based steps.
The injury is a significant blow for Jiménez and Mexico’s supporters, who had hoped for a quicker return. Inside the club, however, the forward is said to have turned his attention fully towards recovery, with the new year now the target for his return to the Wolves attack.
