It’s going to be an interesting return to club action as the current March international break winds down. We still won’t see Premier League action until next week, as the weekend brings on the FA Cup quarterfinals, the first of which sees Fulham hosting Crystal Palace. And today brought some big injury news, at least on the Palace front, in regards to Jean-Philippe Mateta. So we’ll start there.
Mateta is in contention to actually feature on Saturday, but he can only do so provided he wears a specialized protective mask.
FA Cup Quarterfinals FYIs
Crystal Palace at Fulham FC
Kickoff: Sat. March 29, Craven Cottage, London, UK
Preview Material: Match Predictions Team News for Both Sides Starting XI Predictions
Team News for Both Sides
Mateta suffered a serious ear injury in the last round of this competition, and thus that’s what the mask would be for. The French striker has apparently recovered enough to potentially be in the mix here.
Mateta said a few days ago: “Hopefully, I can play (vs Fulham). Hopefully, you never know. Hopefully, they will see me. I’m in the ground every day. The doctor is the person; he will decide. I will wear a mask, I think so.”
Elsewhere Joel Ward (calf strain) remains out with no discernible return date while Will Hughes is suspended, due to yellow card accumulation.
And then finally, Chadi Riad Dnanou and Cheick Doucoure remain out for the season/longer-term, both with knee injuries.
Shifting gears to the hosts, Kenny Tete (knee) is nearing a return while Reiss Nelson (thigh) and Harry Wilson (ankle) remain sidelined, and they’ll be out for awhile yet.
Finally, Sasa Lukic is suspended, due to yellow card accumulation.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.