Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to make his return in a custom protective helmet, similar to the one famously worn by former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

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Article continues below

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• Mateta had 25 stitches following a horror challenge
• Has recovered and will be back in action on Saturday
• Will wear protective headgear similar to Cech

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mateta suffered a gruesome injury during Palace’s FA Cup clash against Millwall, where he was on the receiving end of a dangerous high challenge from goalkeeper Liam Roberts. The reckless collision left the striker with a severely injured ear, requiring oxygen treatment on the pitch and 25 stitches to close the wound.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Matetea has resumed training and even participated in a friendly match for 60 minutes to warm up before returning to competitive action. After testing different types of protective gear to find the most comfortable option, he has zeroed in on one. It has been approved by the FA, ensuring there will be no issues with him wearing it during official matches.

• WHAT OLIVER GLASNER SAID

  While talking about the headgear, Glasner said: “It’s like a water polo helmet. But with one ear. In water polo it’s so they don’t get water into their ears, he has it just on one side. It sounds crazy but we are used to it. I said to the doctor I remember Petr Cech wearing this helmet and he said: ‘Yeah but the ear was free so we need the full helmet’. Once he wore one like you use to ride a motorbike but he couldn’t train with this because it was too heavy, then we found the right one.

  “He has trained with us for two weeks with this protection. It’s also important for him to train a little bit with an internal game in the international break, so he can play for 60 minutes without any problems, so he’s ready. I could just see it in water polo. I said to him maybe you should try this because he’s tall enough. It looks a bit strange, but he says he feels comfortable, so let’s see. When he scores a header tomorrow, then it was the right mask and the right protection.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MATETA?

  With Mateta back in the squad, Palace will be hoping to get the better of Fulham in the FA Cup and secure a place in the semi-finals. He has already scored 20 goals this campaign and his return is a massive boost to the Eagles ahead of the business end of the season.

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Category: News