London, March 29 (IANS) Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has made one change to his team for Saturday’s FA Cup clash away to Fulham, with Jean-Philippe Mateta returning to the side. Former Palace striker Clinton Morrison hailed the Frenchman as one of the best strikers in English football and claimed Mateta’s return would be a big boost to the side.
“Everyone knew [Oliver Glasner] would turn it around, and he has turned it around. They went to Fulham before and got a great result, so they will go there full of confidence. Having Mateta fit is a big boost for them as he has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League,” said Morrison to BBC Sport.
Mateta missed Palace’s last competitive outing three weeks ago, a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town, following the facial injury, for which he required 25 stitches to his left ear, he suffered in the previous FA Cup round against Millwall.
But the in-form French forward is in from the start today – wearing protective headgear – with Eddie Nketiah on the bench.
Head coach Glasner had confirmed that Mateta will be returning for the game, with protective gear, during the pre-game press conference on Friday. “If I believed it’s a problem, I wouldn’t play him,” said Glasner. “The doctor and the team did a great job finding the right protection. We tried two or three different ones, the Premier League approved everything.
Fullback Ben Chilwell also hailed the striker’s importance in the side by claiming Mateta is the glue of the Eagles’ dressing room. “Before I came to Palace, I watched him on TV, we know how good a footballer he is, and how prolific he is in front of goal.
“On the other side of it, which I’ve been impressed by, is how he is around the building. He’s the glue of the place, really. He’s the loudest one in the changing room, the loudest one around here. You need a few of those,” Chilwell told the club’s website.
–IANS
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