Raul Jimenez, Wolves vs Stoke, Pre-seasonGetty

Video: Watch Raul Jimenez score his first goal for Wolves since returning from fractured skull injury

Raul Jimenez has scored his first goal for Wolves since the horror injury he sustained against Arsenal that kept him out for eight months.

Jimenez found the net after 30 minutes, having being named in the starting XI to face Stoke City in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

Leading the line with the support of Barcelona loanee Francisco Trincao and Adama Traore, the Mexico star was subbed off in the second half to huge applause as Bruno Lage's squad look to get minutes under their belt ahead of the new Premier League season.

Article continues below

Jimenez's injury & return to fitness

Jimenez suffered a horrific fractured skull during a Premier League meeting with Arsenal, with the Mexican having clashed heads with former Gunners centre-back David Luiz.

Wolves have carefully managed Jimenez's return to action, with the striker having been sidelined for eight months before he returned to the pitch for a pre-season friendly clash with Crewe on July 17.

And Jimenez now has his first goal since suffering the injury, as he found the net in Wolves' 1-1 draw with Championship side Stoke City on July 31.

'To see him on the pitch is crazy'

Speaking after the draw with Stoke, Jimenez's Wolves team-mate Fernando Marcal told the club's official website: "We are very happy because I think, for us, when we play with Raul it’s different because he’s a very good player, a top player.

"When he got injured, it was hard, I was there, we were there, it was difficult for him and for us too, and to see him now on the pitch is crazy because when you are looking in front of you and see Raul, it’s top."

What's next for Wolves?

Following their 1-1 draw with Stoke, Wolves have two more pre-season friendlies to take in - against Coventry City and Celta Vigo.

Bruno Lage's side will then begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester on August 14, although it's unclear if Jimenez will feature from the start in that match.

Further reading

Advertisement