Crystal Palace’s Mateta Suffers Severe Injury in FA Cup Clash
In a dramatic turn of events during the FA Cup fifth-round clash, Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta found himself at the center of a shocking incident that left fans and players alike in disbelief. The match against Millwall took a grim turn just eight minutes in when Mateta was kicked in the face by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts. The incident was described by Palace’s chairman Steve Parish as “the most reckless challenge” he’d ever seen.
Fortunately, there is some good news to report. “We are very pleased to confirm that JP Mateta has this evening been discharged from St George’s Hospital where he received specialist treatment and 25 stitches to a severe laceration to his left ear,” Palace announced in a statement Saturday evening. “All scans were clear and JP is feeling well.”
The club further stated, “He will now rest and recuperate over the following days where his progress will be monitored by our club doctor.” The statement also expressed gratitude to the medical staff at both Selhurst Park and the hospital for their professionalism and thanked fans for their support.
Mateta himself took to social media to reassure fans, saying, “I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon and stronger than ever. Well done guys for the great job today.”
The incident occurred when Roberts rushed outside the 18-yard box and leaped to clear a long ball, but his high left-footed follow-through struck Mateta in the side of the face. The impact was severe enough to leave Mateta on the ground for several minutes, requiring extensive medical attention before he was fitted with a neck brace and carried off the field toward an ambulance.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner provided an update after the game, stating, “He’s conscious and he’s in hospital, but his ear obviously looks terrible. [It’s a] very serious injury, so of course we hope all the best for him and let’s see.”
Steve Parish, visibly emotional, shared his thoughts with the BBC at half-time, saying, “In all the time I’ve been watching football I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse challenge. If you’re kicking someone in the head then you don’t know what damage may have been done.”
Referee Michael Oliver initially did not even show Roberts a yellow card despite being only a few yards away from the incident. However, after being called over by VAR to review the incident on a pitchside monitor, he brandished a straight red card.
Parish continued, “They’re professionals and they have to treat each other like professionals and have a duty of care for your fellow professionals. That keeper has not had one [duty of care]. Credit to the players carrying on and it is difficult for me to think about anything else with JP [Mateta] in hospital.”
He added, “In all the time I’ve watched football, someone mentioned there was one like it in the World Cup in 1982. Why the referee [Michael Oliver] needed to go to the screen I have got no idea.”
Despite the absence of their leading scorer, who has netted 12 Premier League goals this season, Crystal Palace managed to secure a 3-1 victory over the 10-man Millwall side. However, the win was bittersweet for Glasner, who remarked, “Maybe we are not really happy today. We can’t be really happy. Of course, it’s a great win in going into the quarterfinals, but when you lose a player, especially with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach.”
- Mateta discharged from hospital after receiving 25 stitches.
- Incident described as “the most reckless challenge” by Palace chairman.
- Referee initially did not issue a card, but VAR intervention led to a red card for Roberts.
- Crystal Palace won the match 3-1 despite Mateta’s absence.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN
