Crystal Palace set to welcome Mateta back for FA Cup clash vs Fulham | OneFootball

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has received medical clearance to return to action after recovering from a serious head injury, Sky Sports reports.

However, the French striker will have to wear a protective mask to shield his ear as he makes his comeback.

Mateta has been out since March 1, when he was rushed to the hospital following a reckless challenge from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts during Palace’s 3-1 FA Cup victory.

The awful tackle left Mateta with head injuries and a deep gash to his ear, which required 25 stitches to fix. Roberts was shown a red card for the foul and later received a six-match suspension.

The injury kept Mateta, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, out of Palace’s 1-0 Premier League win against Ipswich Town before the international break.

However, the 26-year-old has been working tirelessly on his recovery and has now been given the green light to face Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham on Saturday.

There were initial concerns that Mateta could be sidelined for a longer period, but he surprised medical staff by rejoining training earlier than expected.

Mateta also travelled to Marbella for a warm-weather training camp to aid his recovery.

He remained coy when asked about a potential return but hinted that he could be ready for the London derby against Fulham.

Mateta’s return is a massive boost for Palace, as the striker has been their talisman this season.

He has scored 15 times and weighed in with three assists in 33 games across all competitions this season, with 12 goals coming in 27 Premier League games.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner will be hoping the Frenchman can power the Eagles into the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend.

They haven’t reached Wembley Stadium in the competition since they were eliminated from the semi-finals by Chelsea back in 2022, while they last featured in the FA Cup final in 2016, losing to Man United.