Raul Jimenez fighting to win back his Wolves place

The Mexican international has endured a difficult season that has seen him miss several months through injury and fail to register a single Premier League – with all three of his strikes this campaign coming in the Carabao Cup.

Jimenez has also had short spells of good form under Lopetegui, before the head coach left him out of the match day squad for the win over Chelsea.

The larger squad at Lopetegui’s disposal means a handful of players will miss out when everyone is fit, and the boss admits Jimenez needs to battle for his place.

“Raul is trying to fight to recover his space,” he said.

“This has to be the aim for any player – the commitment to fight for every day here to try to find a space. He is trying to do that for sure.

“He knows what we want from him and the rest of the forwards – now he is trying to do it.

“But after it is our choice. We try to choose Each line-up and squad list with the best players we think are most ready to provide good answers for us in the match.

“That’s why their daily work here is so important.”

Jimenez has struggled to regain his form since his awful fractured skull injury in November 2020 against Arsenal – and has never got back to his goalscoring numbers before that life-threatening head injury.

When asked about Jimenez’s dip in form, Lopetegui added: “Sometimes in football you can’t explain. He has had fitness problems. He has improved. Now he has to continue fighting his mates in the team (for a place).

“Anyone can think about the past but all of us have to focus on the present.

“He is a good guy and player. We are waiting for his best version.”

There has also been a similar situation with Rayan Ait-Nouri. The left-back has been left out of the squad for the last two games after falling out of favour with Lopetegui.

The head coach said: “With Rayan, it’s the same.

“He’s one player who has played and is now fighting (for his place), because we have a lot of other team-mates who are doing the same.

“Our job is to choose and their work is to fight and win the space in the team. Of course, this is always good for the team.”

Meanwhile, Lopetegui says he is expecting a stern test against Brentford tomorrow.

He said: “On Saturday we will play a very good team, for me one of the best teams, with very good players and a good coach.

“They have spent a lot of time working together and the result is a very good team, maybe one of the best with their away results.

“We know that and we have to be ready for a big match against a very good team in Brentford.

“It’s not easy against a team like this.”