Jean-Philippe Mateta played wearing a water polo-style helmet as he returned to the field following a serious head injury.
The Crystal Palace striker was hospitalized after a bad tackle in the FA Cup match against Millwall.
Crystal Palace won their game against Millwall 2-1, advancing to the quarter-final against Fulham, but Mateta had been sidelined since the injury.
He received 25 stitches to his ear and was seen with a large bandage in a recent interview.
In his return to the field, Mateta wore a water polo-style helmet to protect his ear, contributing to Palace`s 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage.
The design of the helmet was carefully considered, with three different versions being evaluated.
Mateta, 27, tested the helmet in a friendly match behind closed doors. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner joked that the helmet looked more appropriate for water polo.
Glasner commented: “It’s like a water polo helmet. In water polo, it prevents water from entering their ears, while his helmet is only on one side. It may seem unusual, but we are getting used to it.”
“I even suggested he might want to try water polo because he is tall enough.”
“It looks a bit strange, but he says he feels comfortable, so we will see how it goes.”
“When he scores a header, it will prove that it was the right mask and the right protection.”
“Our doctor and the team did an excellent job in finding the right protection. It has all been approved by the FA.”
“There were three different helmet designs. He tried one similar to a motorbike helmet, but it was too heavy for training.”
“I told the doctor I remembered Petr Cech wearing a helmet, but his ear was exposed, so we needed a full helmet. Eventually, we found the right one.”
“He tested in training to find which one fits best and does not negatively affect his performance.”
“If I thought it was a problem, I wouldn’t let him play, but it seems to be fine.”
“He has been using this protection for the last 10 days and has performed well in training, so I saw no reason to discuss it further.”
