New Wolves boss Bruno Lage hails Raul Jimenez's Premier League return

Wolves boss Bruno Lage has hailed Raul Jimenez's competitive return after comparing his sickening injury to Christian Eriksen's shocking collapse.

Wolves ' Mexican striker Jimenez will lead their line at Leicester for the first time in the Premier League since he was injured at Arsenal in November 2020.

The prolific striker suffered a fractured skull and was given oxygen on the pitch before going to hospital for emergency surgery after clashing heads with David Luiz.

But his long road back to full fitness will culminate at the King Power Stadium, where Jimenez,30, will wear a protective headband.

Lage reckons the £33million star's plight at the Emirates was as bad as Danish ace Eriksen's cardiac arrest in the Euros.

Raul Jimenez was badly injured in this clash of heads at Arsenal last November ( Image:

Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

He said: "He is a top player and top man, he can play 90 minutes and is fit and ready to go.

"I am very happy to work with him and he is happy because he will play and all the fans are happy.

"When I saw the images of the injury it was shocking.

"Also in the Euros it happened the same with a top player like Eriksen, 2hen those kind of things happen, we start to think about the meaning of life.

"After when we see him training everyday we forget that.

"He wants to play and in the last five-six weeks I see him everyday with a smile and great ambition to play again for the team."

Lage, 45, has worked in English football before as an assistant to Carlos Carvalhal at Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea.

His last job was boss at Benfica from 2019-2020 where he won the Portuguese title.

New boss Bruno Lage is set for his first competitive game as Wolves boss at Leicester after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo ( Image:

PA)

But he admits he could have done with former Benfica striker Jimenez in his job there.

Nuno Espirito Santo's successor added: "When I was in Benfica and I created the profile for the striker I wanted.

"The people there they said to me, the name you want was Raul but we sold to Wolves."

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