Crystal Palace star rushed to hospital after being kicked in the face.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been taken to hospital with a head injury after a collision with Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts during Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round match.

The collision occurred in the 8th minute of the match at Selhurst Park on the evening of March 1st. The visiting team's goalkeeper, Roberts, rushed out of the penalty area and jumped to intercept a long pass from a home player, but his left-footed shot struck Mateta in the face. The Crystal Palace star lay on the ground for several minutes and required lengthy medical treatment before being fitted with a neck brace and taken off the pitch to an ambulance.

Roberts swung his leg, causing the sole of his shoe to hit Mateta's face (Photo: FS).

Initially, referee Michael Oliver did not observe the dangerous collision and allowed the game to continue while Mateta lay on the ground. It was only after VAR intervened and Oliver went to the sidelines to review the replay that the renowned English referee returned and issued a direct red card, sending Roberts off the field.

Mateta is in superb form for Premier League club Palace with 15 goals in 33 appearances. The French player was given oxygen on the pitch during a lengthy stoppage in play before being taken off and into an ambulance. He was replaced by Eddie Nketiah.

Speaking to the BBC during halftime, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish said Mateta had suffered a serious cut behind his ear, a head injury, and was being assessed at hospital.

"He's in the hospital, so we're hoping for the best. There are a lot of emotions in football, but we need to talk about that incident. In all my football career, I've never seen a situation as dangerous as this. I think it was the most reckless tackle on a football pitch I've ever witnessed," said Parish.

Mateta was taken straight to the hospital by ambulance (Photo: Getty).

After the match, coach Oliver Glasner said Mateta was conscious. He stated: "He is conscious and in the hospital, but his ear looks really bad. This is a very serious injury, so of course we hope for the best for him and everyone should wait for further news."

Later, Mateta posted on social media: "I'm fine. I hope to be back soon and stronger than ever. Well done lads for a great job today." With an early man advantage, Crystal Palace easily thrashed Millwall 3-1 to advance to the next round.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ngoi-sao-cua-crystal-palace-nhap-vien-khan-cap-do-bi-da-vao-mat-20250302012948325.htm