Oliver Glasner Reacts: “His Ear Looks Horrible”
The Crystal Palace forward had to be substituted after just eight minutes, following a reckless high challenge.
Jean-Philippe Mateta endured a horrifying injury after a brutal challenge from Millwall’s goalkeeper, Liam Roberts, during the FA Cup Round of 16.
VAR Intervenes After Shocking Head Injury
In a shocking moment early in the match, Liam Roberts caught Mateta in the head with his studs.
Initially, the referee did not penalise the goalkeeper, but after a VAR review, he was shown a red card.
Mateta suffered a severe cut near his ear and had to be rushed to the hospital after receiving medical attention on the pitch.
"His Ear Looks Horrible"
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner provided an update on Mateta’s condition post-match.
“He is conscious and in the hospital. His ear looks horrible. It’s a very serious injury, so we just hope everything will be okay for him. We can’t be fully happy about the win when we lose a player like this.”
Glasner also admitted he refused to rewatch the incident:
“I didn’t see the foul live—it happened so fast. Watching it in slow motion would only make it worse. It was a terrible challenge, but I’m sure the goalkeeper didn’t intend to harm JP.”
Crystal Palace Chairman Calls It "The Worst Foul I’ve Ever Seen"
Steve Parish, the club’s chairman, did not hold back in his criticism of the tackle:
“In all my years watching football, I’ve never seen anything like that. This is the worst foul I’ve ever seen on a pitch. We’re talking about a human being here—forget football for a moment. When you hit someone in the head with that kind of force, who knows what damage you could cause?”
Parish also questioned why the referee needed VAR to make the decision:
“I can’t understand why he had to review it. That was not a tackle—it was reckless and dangerous.”
Crystal Palace may have secured a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but Mateta’s serious injury casts a shadow over their victory.
