Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta Hospitalized After Dangerous Collision in FA Cup Match

The striker suffered a head injury and required 25 stitches to his ear following a reckless challenge by Millwall's Liam Roberts, who was sent off for the incident.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace's striker, was hospitalized after a violent collision with Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts during the FA Cup eighth-round match.
The incident occurred early in the match when Roberts charged out of his goal and collided with Mateta, resulting in a head injury and a severe laceration to Mateta's ear.
Mateta was evacuated from the field on a stretcher under respiratory assistance and later received 25 stitches at a London hospital before being discharged the same evening.
Roberts was shown a red card for the dangerous challenge after a VAR review, drawing comparisons to infamous football incidents like the 1982 Schumacher-Battiston collision.
Crystal Palace's president and coach condemned the tackle, with the former calling it 'the most reckless challenge' he had ever seen, while Mateta expressed optimism about his recovery and return.