Crystal Palace boss Glasner confirms Mateta will miss next game

The 28th round of the 2024-25 Premier League is about to kick off, with Crystal Palace hosting Ipswich Town. Manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that striker Jean-Philippe Mateta will be unable to attend the event.

Matteta was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after a heavy foul in the opening minutes of the FA Cup tie. Matteta was taken to hospital for treatment and had 25 stitches on a badly lacerated left ear. Crystal Palace confirmed today that Matteta has been released from hospital.

At the pre-match press conference, reporters asked about Mateta's condition. Glasner said: "He will not play tomorrow, but his recovery is good. He is currently recuperating at home and his recovery progress is in line with expectations."

"Fortunately, he has no broken bones or concussion. Although the wound is large, it is healing as we expected. He will travel with the team to Marbella and conduct individual training. If all goes well, he should be able to return to the game against Fulham after the international match day in March."

The match against Newcastle United was postponed, leaving Crystal Palace without a match for three weeks. Therefore, after the Premier League match against Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace will go to Marbella, Spain, for a warm climate training camp, during which they will also play a friendly match with a Norwegian club.

Glasner hopes to make good use of this time to adjust the team's condition. He said: "Our next official game will be several weeks apart. Especially after not being able to play against Newcastle United, the team will not be able to conduct full training for about 10 days because many players have to go to their respective national teams."

“Our focus now is to refocus and prepare for tomorrow’s game against Ipswich Town. The team has shown great confidence in training this week and we need to give our best performance to win.”