Arsenal boss Arteta glad to see Jimenez back after skull fracture

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he is delighted Raul Jimenez is back playing football after witnessing the Wolves striker fracture his skull. Mexico forward Jimenez suffered the serious injury in an aerial challenge with former Arsenal defender David Luiz during Wolves’ 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium in November 2020. But following eight months out on the sidelines, and having been warned by doctors it would be “a miracle” if he played again, Jimenez is set to lead the line for Wolves, just two points behind sixth-placed Arsenal, in Thursday’s Premier League match at the Emirates.

This week’s match will be played in front of a crowd whereas the one where Jimenez suffered his severe injury was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions. And that meant Arteta, as well as seeing the collision, also heard the sound of the impact from his position in the Gunners’ dugout. “Straight away you see the reaction, the anxiety that suddenly is in the team doctors and everybody involved trying to assess what was happening, it was frightening,” Arteta told a pre-match news conference on Wednesday as he recalled the incident.

“Thanks to the medical team, they probably saved him at that moment from something that could have been much worse and for the recovery that he’s done. “It’s great that after that he’s come back so quickly, performing and scoring goals like he’s doing. “Thank God it ended the right way, but it looked really, really bad.” Luiz, who has since left the Gunners, remained in contact with Jimenez throughout his rehabilitation, as did Arsenal.