JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA has broken his silence following his horror FA Cup injury.
The Crystal Palace hitman was rushed to the hospital after being poleaxed in the first half of The Eagle’s fifth-round win over Millwall, whom they beat 3-1.
Mateta was on the receiving end of a kung-fu kick of a challenge from Lions stopper Liam Roberts, who was belatedly given a red card.
The Frenchman was left bloodied and received treatment for ten minutes – during which he was cruelly mocked by a minority of travelling Lions fans – before being rushed to the hospital.
The injury has required the striker to have stitches and it is unclear if he will remain in the hospital overnight.
But he allayed fears over his condition via his Instagram story, writing: “Thanks for all your kind messages.
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“I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon and stronger than ever.
“Well done, guys, for the great job today. I love you. JP.”
Palace boss Oliver Glasner missed Roberts’ horrific attempt of a challenge but was left sickened after seeing the replay.
He said: “I couldn’t see it live. I didn’t want to see it after the game.
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“I don’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.”
Glasner bears no ill will towards Roberts, adding: “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.”
The Daily Mail have claimed that chairman James Berylson and manager Alex Neil have contacted Mateta to check on his condition.
The report also suggested that Roberts also got in touch with the French forward.
Palace chairman and co-owner Simon Parish, however, wasn’t as sympathetic towards the 30-year-old keeper.
After mimicking the awful challenge in the stands, he told the BBC during a half-time interview: “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.”
“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.
“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.”
Millwall boss Alex Neil defended his player’s actions prior to watching the replay.
The Scot 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.
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“It was a mistiming, he was sent off, he is disappointed and will hope Mateta is fine, which we all do.”
Palace booked their place in the quarter-finals thanks to an OG from Japhet Tanganga and goals from Daniel Munoz and Eddie Nketiah.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
