Glasner opens up on Mateta’s failed Milan medical: ‘It wasn’t a big surprise’

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has admitted that ‘it wasn’t a big big surprise’ to see Jean-Philippe Mateta fail a medical with Milan ahead of a proposed deadline day transfer to San Siro, and has explained why it is difficult to predict how long the Frenchman will be unavailable for. 

Milan were hoping to secure a late deal for Palace striker Mateta during the final days of the January transfer window. There was an agreement in place with the South London outfit over a fee in the region of €35m, but, on the final day of the window, the Rossoneri decided not to proceed after uncovering a concerning knee issue during Mateta’s medical.  

According to recent reports, three different medical experts warned Milan against the signing of Mateta, who may require surgery to fix the knee issue. 

Glasner was given an opportunity to reflect on the whole ordeal during his pre-match press conference ahead of Palace’s Premier League match against rivals Brighton. 

Glasner explained why he and the club decided to keep playing Mateta if they knew there was an issue with his knee: “I’ve mentioned this often that we have to manage his knee. The most important thing is always the player’s welfare. There were no concerns (so that’s why) that we took a higher risk so that’s why he could always play. Then we rested him in a few games, in a few training sessions. 

“To be honest it was not a big big surprise that he could fail (his medical). We always knew that this could happen and he knew it. Of course, if you’re playing for two and a half months with a swollen knee and you have to be managed, we knew and he knew that there is an issue in his knee. 

“He wasn’t really pleased. We all know this from our private lives, when you visit three doctors, you get three opinions and that is what we have right now. 

“We have an opinion from an English doctor, one from an Italian, one from a French doctor and we’ll get another one from a German doctor JP trusted when he had surgery when he was a Mainz player. We’ll do further assessments, he’ll see one more doctor on Monday and then we’ll all sit together and make a final decision.”

Part of the reason why Palace and Mateta are taking their time to make a decision on whether or not to have surgery is the upcoming 2026 World Cup. 

Glasner admitted that there is still a possibility that Mateta goes to the World Cup with the France national team: “There are two ways we can do it: Either manage it, like we did. We can manage the knee until after the World Cup, because this is especially what JP is considering, his dream, playing for France at the World Cup. Or, the other one is that he undergoes the surgery.” 

And when asked which option gives Mateta the best possibility of playing at the World Cup this summer, Glasner said: “This is what we don’t know right now. 

“There are a few predictions for his surgery, he could be out for two months, he could be out for three months, he could be out for six to nine months. There are many opinions and now it’s about doing the right thing. We don’t know right now, but we will decide next week.” 

“The most important thing is the players welfare.”

Oliver Glasner reveals he wasn’t surprised that Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to AC Milan could not be completed ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9FrXiyXhBC

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 6, 2026