Wolverhampton's performance director Phil Hayward has revealed the latest medical updates on four players in the team: Raúl Jiménez, Rodrigo Gomes, Bertrand Traoré, and Boubacar Traoré. He provided details on their injuries, rehabilitation programs, and expected return dates to the pitch.
Raúl Jiménez
Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez will be absent until January after it was decided he would undergo knee surgery on Friday, October 16, due to his injury not responding to conservative treatment as expected.
Hayward explained that Raúl Jiménez sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament of his left knee during the match against Everton about four weeks ago, and that repeated examinations over the past three weeks have shown that the ligament is not healing at the expected rate, although minor injuries of this type usually recover without surgical intervention.
The club consulted several specialists regarding knee injuries before deciding on surgery, which will take place in London to repair the ligament and reattach it to the tibia without the need for reconstruction. The player is expected to undergo about three months of rehabilitation, as he will work on maintaining muscle mass during the first two weeks, before gradually transitioning to gym and pool training, with full weight-bearing activities set to begin after about four weeks.
Rodrigo Gomes
Hayward confirmed that Gomes is progressing well in his rehabilitation program after suffering an injury to two ligaments in his ankle, noting that both were low-grade injuries, although the nature of the injury is more complex than typical minor injuries.
The player is waiting for the inflammation to subside before increasing training load and returning to on-field training. The club has not set a specific date for his return, but it has confirmed that the injury will not result in a long absence, with expectations for his return in the near future.
Bertrand Traoré.
Traoré is suffering from a muscle injury in his hamstring, which Hayward described as limited, but it is in an area of the muscle that is more prone to re-injury if the return is not managed carefully.
The player is currently not feeling pain and has good muscle strength, but test results indicate that the tissues have not fully recovered, which necessitates caution before returning to team training. It is expected that he will need about an additional week of caution before assessing his transition to the next phase, without a definitive date set for his return to matches.
Boubacar Traoré.
Boubacar Traoré, known as Buba, has started returning to training on the pitch under the supervision of rehabilitation coaches after being absent for nearly two weeks due to a calf muscle injury.
Hayward indicated that the injury was minor and that the player has responded well to treatment, progressing positively at present, with expectations of returning to group training within the next week or two.
