Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is expecting Jean-Philippe Mateta to have to play with his ear protection for the rest of the season.
Mateta has been playing with his mask since needing 25 stitches to a severe laceration to his ear following a collision outside of the box with Millwall keeper Liam Roberts in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Frenchman netted his first goal since the tackle in the 2-1 win over Brighton last Saturday.
When asked if the former Mainz forward will be wearing a mask against Manchester City on Saturday, Glasner said: “I was asking the same to the doctor.
“It looks like he has to wear it until the end of the season. He is close to getting used to it.
“The positive thing was that it was just the ear – nothing is broken. With the protection, nothing can happen.
“It is stitched and the wound is closed. But we have to be wary, because when you get the ball hit at you at more than 100km per hour, it could reopen and we would have to start the process again.
“It’s more a precaution than 100 per cent necessity to protect it.”
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
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