LONDON: Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta said he bears no grudge towards Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts after needing 25 stitches in a gruesome ear injury suffered in a FA Cup clash between the pair.
Lions ‘keeper Roberts was handed an extended six-game ban after being sent-off for kicking Mateta in the head as he rushed out from goal early in the fifth round tie the Eagles went on to win 3-1 on March 1.
Mateta was not aware of the severity of the injury at first as he even asked to play on.
“When he kicked me, I was on the floor waiting for him to get the red card,“ Mateta told Sky Sports, still sporting a large plaster over the wound.
“I was good to go. I thought, ‘just get the blood off and keep going’.
“I was arguing with the doctor for 30 seconds, saying I wanted to play. The doctor saw the injury, but I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t feel pain. The blood, for sure. But I thought it was a little cut. My ear was like this (dangling). But it was not painful.”
Palace chairman Steve Parish described the incident as the “most reckless challenge” he had ever seen as his club pushed for Roberts’ ban to be upgraded from an automatic three-match suspension.
However, Mateta himself believes it was just a case of “too much emotion” in the heat of the battle.
“Liam contacted me and texted me while I was in hospital and I told him, ‘it is OK, it is football’,“ the Frenchman added. “He apologised. He was worried.”
“I don’t think he woke up and thought I want to cut the head of JP. There is a lot of pressure. He wanted to do good, too much emotion makes you do crazy things. It was just a mistake. You learn from it.”
Mateta, who has scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for Palace in all competitions this season, has returned to individual training and is hoping to be fit for the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham on March 29.
“Hopefully, I can play (against Fulham),“ he said. “I need to wear a mask, I need to wear something. I will take the best one that is most comfortable.”
