JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA is in hospital with a “serious” gash behind his ear after a shocking kung-fu kick from Millwall’s goalkeeper who saw red.
Just six minutes were on the clock in the South London derby FA Cup fifth-round clash when Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes played a superb long pass up the field.
Mateta and Millwall centre-back Jake Cooper tussled for the bouncing ball.
But Lions goalkeeper Roberts came rushing out of his box.
The 30-year-old did appear to win a part of the ball.
But he then clattered into Mateta with his stray left boot, catching him in the head with his studs and opening a nasty gash behind the ear of the striker.
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Ref Michael Oliver initially allowed play to continue with Palace still on the attack but once the shot was headed away, he stopped the game.
To start with, Roberts escaped without a red card and was permitted to stay on the field but then Oliver was sent to the pitchside VAR monitor to watch a replay.
He decided to overturn his original decision and announced the sending off over the in-stadium tannoy before brandishing the red card.
Mateta stayed down for several minutes as he was treated by the medics on the Selhurst Park pitch while distressed team-mates watched on.
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After nearly ten minutes on the ground, he was carried off on a stretcher to the corner of the stadium where an ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital.
The French striker received oxygen as he was taken away.
Furious Palace co-owner Steve Parish at half-time revealed Mateta had suffered a “bad gash behind his ear”.
Manager Oliver Glasner later said: “He’s at hospital now and he has a serious ear injury but the fingers are crossed that it’s not too serious.
“He will definitely miss the Ipswich game but I still hope that he is available for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the end of March.
Eddie Nketiah came on in Mateta’s place in a concussion substitute – meaning Palace still had their allocated five subs.
Millwall were also forced into a tactical change as Lions No1 Lukas Jensen came on between the sticks – with Luke Cundle sacrificed by Alex Neil.
Messages of support flooded in for Mateta as the seriousness of the situation unfolded.
One said: “So horrible to see. Get well soon Big Man.”
Another wrote: “Wishing Jean-Philippe Mateta a quick recovery after the injury.”
A third added: “Prayers for Mateta.”
And a fourth typed: “Absolutely disgusting challenge. I hope Mateta is ok.”
‘HORRIFIC CHALLENGE… TERRIBLE’
Palace chairman Parish was shown on the TV cameras looking distressed and shaking his head in concern.
The BBC commentator also condemned the visiting Millwall fans who sickeningly chanted “let him die” as Mateta received treatment.
He said: “Millwall fans are not endearing themselves to anyone with their chants about Mateta. The club could be revisited about that.”
However, it is understood the Den club will escape punishment for the tasteless chanting because it did not breach FA regulations.
Nketiah thought he had given Palace the lead soon after the match restarted but it was chalked out for handball.
Japhet Tanganga headed into his own net on 33 minutes and it was 2-0 seven minutes later when Daniel Munoz pounced.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside but then it became clear the ball came off Tanganga and fell to Munoz.
A whopping 13 minutes of injury time were added at the end of the first half following the lengthy stoppage – with Millwall pulling one back as the clock hit the 58-minute mark before the break.
Nketiah rounded off the 3-1 victory to book Palace’s place in the quarter-finals – but all of the talk was about his stricken team-mate.
At half-time, an emotional Parish lambasted the “terrible, terrible” foul and gave an update on Mateta’s injury.
He told the BBC: “So far what we know is he’s got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury. He’s at the hospital so we hope for the best.
“There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge.
That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I’ve ever seen… he’s endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life, with a challenge like that.
Steve Parish
“In all the time I’ve watched football, I’ve never seen a challenge like it.
“I looked to see how old the keeper is, he’s 30 years old. That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen and 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.
“That goalkeeper hasn’t shown a duty of care to another professional.
“Someone mentioned there was one in the 1982 World Cup like it but it’s a dreadful challenge and why the referee needs to go the screen, I’ve no idea.
“Forget about him being a football player, he is a human being. That is not a normal challenge.
“If you’re kicking someone in the head with the full force, God knows what damage has been done to him.
“It’s very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because we’re worried about JP in hospital. It’s just a terrible, terrible challenge.”
Pundits Troy Deeney and Glenn Murray also weighed in with their thoughts from the Selhurst Park studio.
Deeney said: “It’s a horrific challenge, terrible. The occasion got to him, he was keen to make a good start, unfortunately he got that one really wrong.
“I just think the state of referring now, they are falling back on VAR. It doesn’t matter if they make the decision because VAR will pull it back.
“Michael Oliver is probably the best ref we’ve got, I would prefer he made a decision then VAR say, ‘You got that one wrong,’ as opposed to now they don’t make decisions and just wait for VAR to help out.
“The thing is he didn’t stop it. Normally for a head injury, you would blow the whistle straight away to get him checked.
“He played on, didn’t stop it and from Michael Oliver’s point of view, it’s like he thinks he clears it and it’s just a coming together.”
Murray added: “This is not a nice challenge. The way Liam Rovert comes out, yes he gets first contact but he’s very much protecting himself and you can see the impact on Mateta.
“I think he catches his temple with his studs. It’s a really nasty one and a massive worry for Crystal Palace going forward.”
Palace manager Oliver Glasner struggled to enjoy the victory amid the uncertainty over his star man.
The Austrian said: “He is in hospital. Has a serious ear injury.
“I couldn’t see it live. I didn’t want to see it after the game. I don’t want to catch the injury. I watched it because I knew I had to talk about it.
“It was a very serious foul play. It’s tough to see. I don’t want to watch it again.
“Imagine it could have ended his career. The goalkeeper didn’t want to make such a challenge but his decision to make the challenge was wrong.
“I believe in fair play and all sportsmen don’t want to injure another. His decision with his foot with this intensity was wrong.”
Millwall boss Alex Neil defended his player’s actions – despite not watching the incident back.
He said: “He’s misjudged it and caught the lad. He has mistimed it.
“”I don’t think it is meant. I don’t think there is any intent, why would there be intent?
“We don’t want the lad to be injured. We wish him well and hope he is back on the pitch soon.
“It was a mistiming, he was sent off, he is disappointed and will hope Mateta is fine, which we all do.”
Palace boss Oliver Glasner was left horrified by the injury, saying: “I didn’t want to watch the injury.
“I watched it because I knew I had to talk about it. It was a very serious foul play. It’s tough to see.
“I don’t want to watch it again. Imagine it could have ended his career.
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“He didn’t want to make such a challenge but his decision to make the challenge was wrong.
“I believe in fair play and all sportsmen don’t want to injure another. His decision with his foot with this intensity was wrong.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
