Crystal Palace talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta reassured fans that he is “doing well” after getting stretchered off during his side’s FA Cup victory over Millwall on Saturday afternoon.
The prolific French striker was involved in a sickening collision with Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in the first half of the fifth-round tie. After a VAR review, Roberts was sent off for dangerous play. Palace chairman Steve Parish insisted that the keeper’s head-high boot could have endangered Mateta’s life.
Once Mateta’s teammates had steadied themselves to earn a 3-1 win and a place in the FA Cup quarter-final draw, the absent forward took to social media to deliver the news everyone had been hoping for. “Thank you all for your kind messages,” Mateta wrote. “I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon and stronger than ever. Well done guys for the great job today.”
Palace released an official statement late on Saturday evening revealing that Mateta had been discharged from St George’s hospital after receiving specialist treatment. “All scans were clear” and the Frenchman required 25 stitches to sew up the gash behind his left ear.
“He will now rest and recuperate over the following days where his progress will be monitored by our club doctor,” the club wrote.
Parish captured the concern of Palace fans when he gave an impassioned interview with the BBC during the half-time interval of Saturday’s game. “There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge,” the club’s co-owner told Kelly Somers. “I’ve never seen a challenge like it in football. The goalkeeper is 30 years old, and that is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I have ever seen.
“He needs to have a long hard look at himself, that lad, because he’s endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life, with a challenge like that.”
Millwall fans were not so forgiving. Some members of the away section could be heard chanting “let him die” while Mateta received extensive medical attention on the pitch.
