Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta has been spotted back in training for the first time since his terrifying head injury during a FA Cup clash with Millwall last week. The French forward required 26 stitches after a brutal collision with goalkeeper Liam Roberts, which occurred during Palace's 3-1 triumph in the fifth round of the tournament.
The incident took place in the early stages of the match when Roberts rushed out to challenge for a ball, striking Mateta on the side of his head with his studs and subsequently receiving a red card following a VAR review. Roberts' suspension has been extended to six games after Palace chairman Steve Parish described it as "the worst challenge I've ever seen in football".
There were concerns that Mateta might face a prolonged period out of action, but Palace supporters have been heartened by images of the striker smiling during a training session.
Team-mate Chris Richards captured footage of Mateta, complete with protective headband and plaster on his left ear, and shared it on his Instagram account.
Richards light-heartedly compared Mateta's look to American tennis star Francis Tiafoe. Mateta, who was in the gym receiving instructions from a trainer, noticed Richards filming him and responded with a smile before continuing his workout.
Despite Mateta's nasty knock, Crystal Palace are optimistic that the striker will make a timely return for their FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Fulham on 29 March.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner revealed, "Mateta is doing well," and further shared insight into the player’s condition: "He had no fractures or concussion and healing from the huge wound is going as we expected.
"He will go to Marbella with us next week and he will be just training individually. If everything goes how we wish, he will be available against Fulham [in their FA Cup quarter-final on 29 March]."
This article first appeared on The Mirror.