Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo hailed the upbeat attitude of Raul Jimenez in his recovery from a fractured skull and revealed the striker is wearing a protective headband during training drills.

Nuno has already tipped Jimenez to return to action before the end of the season from an injury he suffered in a sickening clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz in Wolves’ win at the Emirates Stadium in November.

The Mexican has recently been given the green light to train with his team-mates and while he is not yet a full participant or heading the ball, he is taking precautions to guard against a setback.

However, it is undecided whether Jimenez will wear the headwear when he eventually resumes playing.

“It’s a protective headgear that he uses during the training sessions, something that prevents any kind of contact on the skull,” said Nuno, whose side welcome Liverpool to Molineux on Monday evening.

“He’s not decided yet if he’s going to wear it when he returns to competitions but now it’s a better approach for him to be more involved inside of the training sessions.

“He’s doing quite well and he’s improving. We still have to wait but it’s not decided yet whether he’s going to wear it in the future. First we have to put him back in the pitch in the best and safest way to do it.”

Jimenez bagged 27 goals in all competitions for Wolves last season and amassed seven in 15 appearances for club and country during this campaign before his accidental collision with Luiz.

According to Nuno, the 29-year-old’s outlook on his injury and his subsequent comeback to training has improved the mood at the club.

“It’s a big lift because he’s a fantastic boy,” added Nuno.

“With the serious situation he’s faced and the doubts, it was clear that he never doubted, he was always positive, he’s always with a smile, he’s always engaged to do things.

“That, by itself, is a big, big lift when you see someone with something so serious and he’s so positive about it all. Raul is amazing.”