In the aftermath of a shocking challenge from Millwall custodian Liam Roberts, Jean-Philippe Mateta was taken to hospital with a serious ear injury following the incident.
During the fifth-round match of the FA Cup, the striker for Crystal Palace was struck on the head by Roberts, who displayed a moment of insanity before the match.
At the same time that Mateta was rushing onto a through ball, Roberts moved his foot outside of his box in order to clear the ball.
A red card was eventually shown to the custodian after the referee, Michael Oliver, reviewed the incident at the pitchside video assistant referee monitor. The custodian had collided with the striker’s head from a high speed.
Nine medical personnel arrived at the scene to provide treatment to Mateta, who had been lying on the ground for a period of eight minutes.
Following this, the Frenchman was placed on a stretcher while receiving oxygen, and he was immediately transported to the hospital from a pitchside ambulance.
The following message was posted by Mateta on Instagram a few hours after the game: “Thank you for your kind messages.” My condition is good. I can’t wait to get back to you. Stronger than it has ever been. Guys, you did an excellent job today. Congratulations! You have my love.
Oliver Glasner, the manager of Palace, disclosed that Mateta is currently receiving treatment for a serious ear injury after the club advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory.
“JP is currently at the hospital, and according to everything I’ve heard, he is conscious,” he said. However, the ear injury is extremely severe. Check it out.
It is because of this serious injury that we are unable to truly experience the joy that we are experiencing after achieving victory and advancing to the quarterfinals.
If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t want to see any fouls because I never want to see them. On the other hand, when I am required to discuss it, it is imperative that I observe it.
“It is fair to say that during the game, you could see this high level of intensity; however, when he touched the ball, I was unable to see the seriousness of the situation. It is a terrible foul, but now that it is being shown on the screen and in slow motion.
What makes it so terrible is the intensity, the foot and the head being straight while the studs are placed on the face.
I don’t want to point the finger at the keeper. When I think about it, I always think that every athlete wants to avoid hurting someone. When you leave your box as a keeper, however, you have to make a different decision because you cannot take the risk of getting hurt.
“Imagine that he falls and hits his head with full force; this could be the moment that his career comes to an end. All things considered, it was a terrible foul.
In his defence of Roberts, Millwall manager Alex Neil acknowledged that the challenge was a “bad challenge,” but he insisted that he would “not accept” any suggestions that the challenge was made with malicious intent.
During the halftime break, Chairman Steve Parish gave a particularly rare interview in which he expressed his rage over Roberts’ challenge.
Parish was quoted as saying to the BBC, “He is currently being treated at the hospital for a head injury and a severe gash behind his ear.” Our best wishes are with you.
