Crystal Palace expect Jean-Philippe Mateta back from his hamstring injury next month, with a return in time to face Nottingham Forest now a realistic target. He has been out since August, and he had only played 63 minutes in the opening-weekend defeat to Everton before the setback.
Palace's attacking lift
That short spell against Everton was his only Premier League outing so far this season, and his rating from that game was 5.9. Palace are sitting 8th in the league, so getting their main striker back before a meeting with Forest would arrive at the right moment.
Standard Sport reported that Mateta is expected to return in time to face Nottingham Forest next month. The timing gives Palace something concrete to work with after a spell where results have been mixed, with their last four league games reading L-L-W-L.
The future remains open
The injury does not close the other part of the story. Standard Sport also reported that Mateta's future remains uncertain after it was revealed in August that he was arguing the final year of his Palace contract should be ruled invalid.
His summer move to AC Milan fell through after a failed medical detected a knee injury, and Palace also rejected a £25million bid from Aston Villa. The contract attempt was later rejected by both a Premier League tribunal and FIFA.
So Palace may be getting the player back next month, but the bigger questions around his contract and long-term future are still there. Forest are 18th, and the match next month now carries a bit more weight if Mateta is ready to return.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
