JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA has opened up on his Millwall FA Cup ordeal.
The Crystal Palace striker, 27, required 25 stitches on a severe laceration to his left ear following an ill-judged challenge by Lions stopper Liam Roberts.
Mateta received lengthy treatment on the pitch before being taken to hospital.
The Frenchman has now revealed that he remained conscious throughout the incident, and actually feared that his injuries might have been even worse.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Mateta said: “I was afraid I’d have broken bones or blood in my brain. But in fact, my ear was just destroyed.
“A plastic surgeon came and took photos of my ear, which he refused to show me so they wouldn’t stay in my head.”
Mateta also astonishingly admitted that he wanted to play on.
The prolific forward added: “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.
“After that, I never lost consciousness. I was lying on the ground, and I said to the doctor, ‘I’m fine, I want to play again.’
“But he, seeing my ear, replied, ‘No, you have to go’.”
During the BBC’s coverage of the match, which Palace won 3-1, Eagles chairman Steve Parish launched an impassioned rant about Roberts’ challenge.
The 59-year-old said: “There’s a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge.
“In all the time I’ve watched football, I’ve never seen a challenge like it. I looked to see how old the keeper is, he’s 30-years-old.
“That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen. And he needs to have a long, hard look at himself that lad.
“Because he’s endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life, with a challenge like that.”
Mateta has not played since suffering the injury on March 1.
The forward travelled with Palace on their warm-weather training trip to Marbella this week.
He trained alone while wearing a plaster on his left earlobe and a black headband.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner is hopeful of having his star man, who has scored 12 Premier League goals this season, back in time for the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Fulham on March 29.
The Austrian, 50 said: “Fortunately, he had no fractures and no concussion.
“It’s a huge wound that was stitched. But the healing is going like we expected and hoped.
“If everything goes how we expect and wish, he should be available for the Fulham game.
“Everybody is in touch with JP and messaging him.
“Everybody knows he’s doing well. He’ll be back soon.”
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