Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace forward, will return to the field on Saturday wearing a protective headband similar to those used in water polo.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner assured that Mateta is fully prepared to play, stating, “If I didn’t believe he was ready, I wouldn’t play him.”
Mateta, the French striker, is expected to be in the starting lineup for Palace’s FA Cup quarter-final game against Fulham. This will be his first game since he sustained an ear injury requiring 25 stitches, caused by a high kick from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in their FA Cup fifth-round match on March 1st.
Mateta has been practicing with a protective headguard approved by the FA throughout the international break. He tested three different versions, including in a closed-door practice match. Glasner and the Crystal Palace team have jokingly commented on his new headgear.
Glasner mentioned, “It’s like a water polo helmet. In water polo, it prevents water from entering their ears, but he only needs it on one side. It might seem strange, but we are getting used to it.”
He jokingly added, “I even suggested he might consider water polo, given his height.”
Glasner continued, “It looks a bit unusual, but he says he feels comfortable, so we will see.”
“If he scores a header, it will prove that the mask and protection are effective.”
“Our medical staff did an excellent job in finding the appropriate protection. The FA has approved everything.”
“There were three options. He tried one similar to a motorbike helmet, but it was too heavy for training.”
“I mentioned to the doctor that Petr Cech used to wear a helmet, but his ear was uncovered, so we needed a full helmet. Eventually, we found the right one.”
“He has been training with this protection for the last ten days and has performed well, so I saw no reason to question it.”
When asked if the protective gear might change Mateta’s playing style, Glasner replied, “I’ve observed him in training, and he appears to be the same player as before.”
“He needed time to regain his form because he couldn`t train properly for two weeks.”
“For one week, he was resting at home, and the second week involved individual training.”
“Fortunately, despite the severe injury, there were no fractures or concussion, only the ear injury.”
“Some players even joked that his ear looks better than before!”
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, who previously wore a protective mask for a broken nose while playing in Germany, commented, “It can be restrictive, but I believe he will adapt well.”
“[Mateta] is enjoying the attention. He now has a bionic ear. He resembles a wrestler.”
“With the headband, we also joked that he looks like the American tennis player Francis Tiafoe.”
When asked if he had offered Mateta any advice, Richards laughed, “No, no. He wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”
