A footballer’s worst nightmare. Four months before the American World Cup, Jean-Philippe Mateta sees his chances of joining Didier Deschamps’ group diminishing over time. Expected from AC Milan, who had reached an agreement with Crystal Palace for 35 million euros in the last days of the transfer window, the French striker did not satisfy the Lombard club during medical tests.
The 28-year-old center forward has been playing for two and a half months with a swollen knee, a problem easily detected by the seven-time Champions League winner’s doctors. “Honestly, it wasn’t a big surprise to us that he could miss it. He knew it could happen,” surprisingly explained his coach Oliver Glasner.
The 2024 Olympic vice-champion no longer rules out the operation while knowing that it could seal his package for the 2026 World Cup (June 11 – July 19) that he dreams of playing with the Blues. Not an easy decision to make, when the player must meet a fourth specialist this Monday to treat his knee.
Several months of absence in the event of an operation
“The first option is to take care of his knee until the World Cup, which is what Jean-Philippe is considering in particular because he dreams of playing for France at the World Cup. The other option is for him to have surgery,” Glasner summarized.
“An operation could keep him out of the field for two months, three months, even six to nine months. Opinions differ, we don’t know yet, but we will make a decision next week,” added the Austrian technician.
The situation is all the more complex for the French international (3 caps, 2 goals) because Crystal Palace has largely reached into its wallet to secure the services of Wolverhampton center forward Jorgen Strand Larsen with a check for almost 60 million euros, a record for the club. The competition will be tough if Mateta manages to get back on his feet without surgery: his new Norwegian teammate could also make his debut on Sunday (3 p.m.) at Brighton, historic rival of the London “Eagles”.
