Alex Telles.

Telles sends message of solidarity to Jimenez

Thursday 10 December 2020 10:12

Manchester United defender Alex Telles has sent a message of support to Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez.

The Reds' left-back still bears the scar from a sickening head injury suffered while playing for Gremio in Brazil and understands what the Mexican is going through.

Jimenez suffered a fractured skull during the recent Premier League game against Arsenal and looks set to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, even if he has now returned home to recuperate.

The memories of his own injury remain with Telles, who was competing against current team-mate Fred at the time, in a match with Internacional.

When asked by Inside United, for the upcoming edition of the official magazine, if he could recount the story behind his scar, Telles said: "It was from football, when I was playing for Gremio. It was the Gre-Nal derby, Fred was playing for Inter at the time, we were rivals.

“It was a high ball and I clashed heads with an Internacional player. I ended up with a depressed facial fracture here at the front [points]. It was a very similar injury to the one Wolverhampton's Jimenez suffered this week. It was a very similar situation.

"I ended up fracturing this part at the front and my nose. It was a very difficult and complicated moment for me, but I also learnt a lot whilst I was out. I was out for about two-and-a-half to three months. I had to have an operation on my head to reconstruct the skull bone. The scar is now part of my identity, a reminder of my story for the rest of my life."

When we asked if Alex had a message for Jimenez, who has been a leading light for Wolves in the Premier League, he was keen to pass on his best wishes.

"What I can say to Raul is that unfortunately this type of scenario exists in football," he added. "It's not normal but it happens.

“I've been through it as well and I'd like to wish him a lot of strength. He will definitely recover and, thank God, it wasn't so serious and he will be able to get back playing as soon as possible, doing what he loves the most. Us players have to have this solidarity and I wish him well and that he gets better soon." 

Raul Jimenez was injured in an aerial collision with David Luiz at the Emirates Stadium.

United's final game of 2020 will be against Wolves, at Old Trafford on 29 December, with kick-off at 20:00 GMT.

You can read the big interview with Alex Tells in full in the upcoming edition of Inside United, the official club magazine.

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