Wolves striker Raul Jimenez could return next week claims father
Raul Jimenez’s father has claimed the Wolves striker could return to action next week and allayed fears he might be at risk of missing the World Cup.
Jimenez is currently with the Mexico squad continuing his rehabilitation from a groin injury which has forced him to miss Wolves’ last two Premier League matches.
His national team boss, Tata Martino, this week sparked concern by revealing the problem was more serious than he had initially realised.
But in a subsequent interview in the Mexican press, Jimenez’s father, Raul Sr, rejected the notion the injury made the 31-year-old a doubt for Qatar 2022, which starts in November.
He said: “I am very happy, it is already very close (the World Cup), but Raul, despite the injury he has, is very confident that in a week he will be playing again and let’s hope because we all think that this will be Raul’s World Cup.
“There are no nerves (about missing the World Cup), he was doing very well in the first two pre-season games, he scored a goal, he was doing well until this injury appeared. Everything is predicted that, in one or two weeks, he will be reinstated so that he can be at the World Cup with Mexico.”
Jimenez still travelled to meet up with the Mexico squad despite the injury ruling him out of friendlies against Peru and Colombia.
Martino said: “I have high expectations and I look at him the same way I did 20 to 30 days ago.
“I never thought we would reach this situation. I didn’t think the thing was so serious but we need to pay attention to it. As the days go by and the World Cup approaches, we have to be attentive. We give him everything we can to recover.”
