Jean-Philippe Mateta injury: Millwall fans’ applause shows apparent support for Liam Roberts after red-card challenge

Millwall fans conducted a minute’s applause in an apparent show of support for goalkeeper Liam Roberts after his red-card challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The FA is yet to confirm whether they will submit a “clearly insufficient” punishment claim after Mateta required 25 stitches in his left ear following Roberts’s tackle in the early stages of Crystal Palace’s 3-1 FA Cup win at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Millwall supporters appeared to show their support for Roberts as clearly audible applause was heard in the eighth minute, the time of his dismissal on Sunday, during the Championship fixture against Bristol City at The Den on Tuesday.

However, some boos were also heard at the same time.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish described the tackle by Roberts as “the most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen”. Roberts is currently serving a three-game ban for the foul.

Millwall have since condemned the abuse the goalkeeper has received, adding they deplore the “character assassination” that had ensued.

The FA is yet to provide a ruling on Roberts as they review the contentious issues from the weekend’s games, including Wolves forward Matheus Cunha’s red card against Bournemouth.

If an appeal is made by the governing body to increase Roberts’ suspension, the club or player then have until 6pm “on the second business day following receipt of the FA’s claim” to respond with any evidence stating why the punishment is “clearly sufficient.”

Any case would be heard by an independent regulatory commission, who would decide if the standard ban should not be imposed.

They would also determine the new punishment if the claim was successful. If an appeal was unsuccessful, the player would serve the standard punishment.

What happened to Mateta?

The incident came inside six minutes at Selhurst Park when Mateta challenged for a high ball just outside the area and goalkeeper Roberts came out of his box, catching the Palace striker’s head with his high boot.

After a check of the pitchside monitor, referee Michael Oliver sent Roberts off, with Mateta receiving almost 10 minutes of medical attention on the field before being taken off.

He was taken straight to hospital where he received “specialist treatment and 25 stitches to a severe laceration to his left ear”, Palace said in a statement as they confirmed scans were “all clear”.

“He will now rest and recuperate over the following days, where his progress will be monitored by our club doctor,” the club added.

Mateta posted on Instagram, saying: “I’m doing well. I hope to be back soon and stronger than ever.”

Parish: The most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen

In a somewhat unprecedented step, Palace chairman Parish gave an interview at half-time to discuss the incident.

“There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge,” Parish told the BBC. “I’ve never seen a challenge like it… that’s the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I’ve ever seen.

“He needs to have a long, hard look at himself because he’s endangering a fellow professional with a challenge like that.

“And why the referee needs to go to the screen, I have no idea… if you’re kicking him in the head at full force, who knows what kind of damage could be done.”

However, speaking to Sky Sports News after the game, Parish struck a calmer tone, saying: “I think he [Mateta] is OK, I’ve had a message from his agents.

“It’s a head injury so you don’t really know, but he’s got a really bad gash. I think his ear is almost in half. It’s a bad one but I’ve said what I’ve said.

“The game’s over and credit to Millwall, they made it difficult for us today and we’re through to the next round, which JP will be happy about and we are as well.

“I wasn’t really angry [in his half-time interview], I hope I didn’t come across like that. I watch a lot of football and it was some challenge.

“You’ve got to assume the kid doesn’t mean it. I think he’s het up, there’s a lot of pressure and he hasn’t played for them that much. I’m sure he’ll want to apologise and I heard he’s very upset himself.

“It was just a shocking challenge and at that time, I was very worried for JP. We still are slightly but hopefully he’s OK.”

Neil rebuffs Parish: Not the worst challenge I’ve seen

After the game, Millwall boss Alex Neil somewhat played down the incident, disagreeing that it was one of the worst challenges he had seen – but he also admitted he was yet to see it back.

He said: “I don’t think there’s any intent. Why would there have been? It’s the start of the game, the ball gets put in behind and he tries to get there.

“I certainly wouldn’t label it as the worst challenge I’ve seen. We don’t want the lad to be injured so naturally, we wish Mateta well and hope he’s back on the pitch soon.

“For me, it’s mistimed, he’s been sent off, he’s disappointed. We wish Mateta well and it’s nothing more than that for me.

“At the time when it happened, I didn’t know if he’d caught the lad or caught the ball because the ball seemed to go off in a strange angle.

“Unfortunately, [the screens] at the side of the dugout weren’t working so we couldn’t really watch the incident back.

“I haven’t seen it back since but he’s mistimed it and got sent off, which at that stage of the game, makes the game doubly difficult for us. It was disappointing. He’s made a call and hasn’t quite got it right.”

The injury took the shine off Crystal Palace’s win for boss Oliver Glasner, who said: “We can’t be really happy.

“Of course it’s a great win and into the quarter-finals, but when you lose a player with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach,” he told BBC Sport.

“I’m sure the goalkeeper didn’t want to injure JP in this situation because no player wants this. But if you go for the ball like this with the intensity in the head, you just can’t do it because it’s so dangerous. I don’t want to blame him but it’s a terrible foul.

“Going to the FA Cup quarter-finals is a great achievement and now fingers crossed, we’re hoping the best for JP.”

Millwall ‘disgusted’ by Roberts abuse

Millwall have since released a statement regarding the reaction to Roberts’ tackle on Mateta, condemning the abuse the goalkeeper received, adding they deplore the “character assassination” that had ensued.

“The club are disgusted by abuse directed towards goalkeeper Liam Roberts following Saturday’s unfortunate collision with Jean-Philippe Mateta,” a Millwall spokesperson said.

“The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organisations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him.

“No player at Millwall Football Club steps onto the pitch with the intent to harm another and the club will continue to support Liam, who reached out to Jean-Philippe personally on Saturday evening with an apology, which was accepted immediately.

“The club are pleased to hear positive updates from Jean-Philippe and wish him the best in his recovery.”

Ref Watch: ‘Roberts did not intend to hurt Mateta’

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher felt “justice was done” with the red card for Roberts but insisted he did not intend to hurt Mateta as the FA ponders extending his ban.

“There’s no doubt about it, it’s a red card,” he said on Ref Watch. “Justice was done because he was given a red card on the field and quite rightly so.”

He added: “The FA always has the power to increase a ban if it’s warranted.

“I was involved in the case with Ben Thatcher, when he smashed Pedro Mendes into the advertising boards, and the FA gave him an eight-game ban because they thought it was really bad.

“I think everyone would say this was bad but what I would say in defence of Roberts is that I don’t think he meant for one second to hurt Mateta.

“I make that very clear. He’s raced out of his box very unwisely. He has panicked. He has got to get the ball.

“The other thing that didn’t go in his favour is that the ball is not on the ground, the ball is in the air, so he’s got to go with a high boot.

“He didn’t have to do it either because if he had waited in his box, there was a fair chance the ball would have come to him.

“But once he takes that action, he’s completely mistimed it and got it wrong, and it’s a red card there’s no doubt.”