The games Jean-Philippe Mateta will miss for Crystal Palace after hamstring injury | Football

Jean-Philippe Mateta has suffered a painful hamstring injury just hours before Crystal Palace’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.

Palace welcome City to Selhurst Park on Friday night for their first home game of the season but will be without their prolific striker.

The Athletic report that Mateta sustained the injury in training and is expected to be sidelined for the next four weeks, in what could prove to be a massive blow for the Eagles.

If true, the France star will not play again before the first international break of the season, thereby missing four top-flight matches.

His first game back from injury could well be the highly-anticipated match on October 11, when former Palace manager Oliver Glasner returns to south London with his Nottingham Forest side.

The 29-year-old is also set to miss the Carabao Cup third round clash against Middlesbrough and Palace’s first ever Europa League match.

Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning the Conference League last season, with Mateta scoring the winner in the final against Rayo Vallecano.

While the fixtures are yet to be finalised, the Eagles have been drawn against Real Sociedad, Sparta Praha, Lech Poznan, Hoffenheim, Lyon, RB Salzburg, Jagiellonia Białystok and Beşiktaş in the League Phase.

It’s the third major injury blow Pierre Sage’s side have suffered since the start of the season, with star winger Ismaila Sarr out with a groin issue, while defender Chadi Riad was stretchered off with a knee injury during last weekend’s loss at Everton.

Mateta’s injury also casts doubt over the chances of him leaving Selhurst Park before deadline day, with the striker seemingly desperate for a transfer.

He was on course to depart in January for AC Milan, only to fail his medical at the last moment. He stayed and initially won back the hearts of fans, finishing the season with 16 goals across all competitions.

But the Frenchman has repeatedly refused to sign a new contract and it was recently revealed that he has even disputed the validity of his current deal that expires next summer.

An independent tribunal ruled that the contract was valid earlier this year, but so desperate are Mateta and his representatives that they took the matter to FIFA, only for them to say it was not in their jurisdiction.

Up to this point, Palace have been determined to keep Mateta, rejecting a bid from Aston Villa last week that fell well below expectations.

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