Crystal Palace and Mateta to decide on possible surgery next week after Milan move collapse | OneFootball

Crystal Palace and Jean-Philippe Mateta will decide next week whether the striker requires knee surgery, Oliver Glasner said on Friday after the player’s proposed move to AC Milan collapsed following a failed medical.

Mateta has been playing for about two and a half months with a swollen knee and the club have managed his workload. The issue was always likely to be picked up by the medical and it was not a major surprise, with the player aware that outcome was possible.

AC Milan were ready to pay 35 million euros for the 28-year-old. The 2024 Olympic silver medallist also scored two goals in three appearances for Didier Deschamps’s France side in October and November.

Mateta has already consulted three specialists without a clear consensus. He is due to see a fourth on Monday.

Options include resting the knee until after the World Cup, which Mateta favours as he hopes to play for France, or undergoing surgery. The best route with the World Cup in mind remains unclear, with estimates ranging from two or three months out to six to nine months. Opinions differ and the club and player are still weighing up the choice.

Source: L'Équipe