Why Was Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta Wearing Protective Headgear Against Fulham?

The French Striker Returned to Action for Crystal Palace After a Break Wearing a Protective Headgear, but Why?

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta made his return to the pitch on Saturday during their FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham. He was seen donning a protective headgear in the match. The reason for the headgear can be traced back to Palace’s last FA Cup match in the fifth round against Millwall.

The French forward had suffered a horrific injury in that match. He was accidentally kicked in the head by the Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts. The impact of the kick left Mateta with a lacerated ear that required 25 stitches. In an interview with L’Equipe, Mateta later revealed that he initially feared far worse damage:

A Jean-Philippe Mateta smile 🥰#CPFC pic.twitter.com/nSCcDQhAJc
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 29, 2025

“I was afraid I’d have broken bones or blood in my brain, but in fact, my ear was just destroyed. At the last moment, I had the reflex to turn my face. I was lucky because if I hadn’t, I would have taken his foot right in the head, and it would have been much worse.”

Mateta’s Recovery and Protective Gear

Mateta’s injury was so severe that he required plastic surgery. The surgeon even initially struggled to reconstruct his ear. Mateta was hospitalized following the injury but was discharged soon after. Even with such a severe injury, Mateta missed only one match, mainly due to the international break.

Also Read: Manchester City Investigates Erling Haaland After Mascot’s Injury Claim

He only missed their 1-0 Premier League win against Ipswich. He resumed training soon and played 60 minutes in a friendly for the club against the Norway top-flight club HamKam. Ahead of their match against Fulham, Palace coach Oliver Glasner praised Mateta’s resilience, telling ITV:

“He’s such a lovely guy. He spent one week in bed, brought his mother over to England, and she took care of him. The second week he started training individually, and he was always laughing even when his ear was still swollen.”

Also Read: FA Cup Quarter-Final: Brighton vs Nottingham Forest – Injury News, Injury Update, Predicted Lineups and More

Mateta’s teammate Chris Richards also joked about his new look, saying, “He looks like a wrestler. He had a headband on, so we were saying the tennis player Francis Tiafoe. So there’s been a few shouts the last few weeks.”

Mateta, boasting 15 goals in all competitions this season, will hope to keep playing for the club’s upcoming games. Especially after Palace progressed to the FA Cup semi-final by defeating Fulham by a 0-3 margin today. Palace will play against Southampton in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace

FA Cup

Fulham

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Liam Roberts

Millwall

Premier League

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.