Mateta conscious in hospital after 'reckless' kick to head by Millwall 'keeper

LONDON (AP) — Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off just eight minutes into Saturday's FA Cup game against Crystal Palace after a wildly reckless challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta that led to the forward being carried off on a stretcher.

Roberts rushed outside the 18-yard box and leaped to clear a long ball but his high left-footed follow-through struck Mateta in the side of the face.

Mateta remained on the ground for several minutes and needed lengthy medical treatment before he was fitted with a neck brace and carried off the field toward an ambulance.

"So far what we know is, he's got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury," Palace chairman Steve Parish told the BBC during the halftime break.

"In all the time I've watched football I've never seen a challenge like it," Parish said. "That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I've ever seen."

Referee Michael Oliver initially did not even show Roberts a yellow card despite being only a few yards away from the incident but then brandished a straight red after being called over by VAR to review the incident on a pitchside monitor.

Crystal Palace, with the man advantage, went on to claim a 3-1 win in the fifth-round FA Cup match, advancing to the quarterfinals.

"He is conscious and he is in hospital. His ear looks terrible. It's a very serious injury so we hope all the best for him," said Palace coach Oliver Glasner. "We are not really happy, we can't be really happy. Of course, it's a great win and into the quarterfinals but when you lose a player, especially with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach."

Mateta is Palace's leading scorer with 12 Premier League goals this season. He's found the net 15 times across all competitions.