Raul Jimenez is back at Molineux today, and Wolves’ final home match of the season gives the stadium a chance to greet one of its most popular former forwards one more time. Fulham are the visitors, Wolves are trying to end a difficult campaign at home, and Jimenez is expected to be available after missing Fulham’s last game with a knock.
The forward left Wolves three years ago after four years in which he became one of the club’s most influential players. He scored 57 goals in 166 games and added 23 assists, numbers that helped turn him into a favourite with supporters at a time when he was also regarded as one of the most fearsome strikers in the division before his head injury. Today’s return has added edge because Fulham are chasing a league double over Wolves for the first time.
That makes the match about more than a familiar face coming back to an old ground. Wolves are entering their final home game of the season with the chance to avoid a club record they would rather not own: if they lose today, they could equal 25 losses in a single campaign. For a team that has already had too many flat afternoons, the season’s last home fixture carries the kind of consequence that lingers beyond the final whistle.
The memory of Jimenez’s last appearance at Molineux still hangs over the place. In the 2022/23 season, Julen Lopetegui left him on the bench against Everton and did not use him among the five substitutes. After that match, Wolves players walked around the pitch to thank the fans, and Jimenez was in tears. The source around the club says supporters were denied a proper tribute for him at the end of that season, which makes today’s return feel like a long-delayed reunion rather than a simple routine visit.
For Wolves, the afternoon is about damage control and one last bit of home pride. For Fulham, it is a chance to complete a first league double over their opponents and do it with Jimenez back in the squad, if selected. For the Molineux crowd, it is a reminder of what the club once had in the No. 9 who arrived with a scorer’s instinct and left with a place in the memory of the stands. The game may be the season’s last at home, but the reception for Jimenez is likely to be the part people remember.
