Mateta to rejoin squad following medical concerns
Palace fail with loan bid for Everton’s Dwight McNeil
Jean-Philippe Mateta will be reintegrated into Crystal Palace’s squad after the France striker’s deadline-day move to Milan collapsed but he faces competition for his place from new club record signing Jørgen Strand Larsen.
The Norway striker’s move from Wolves was confirmed just before Monday’s 7pm deadline for an initial £43m plus £5m in bonuses, with Palace having already broken their transfer record this month in signing Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for £35m. But having been at the centre of a dramatic deadline day in the summer when chair Steve Parish pulled the plug on Marc Guéhi’s proposed move to Liverpool, it was another chaotic 24 hours in south London as Mateta attempted to seal his move to Milan.
That fell through after a second medical examination by the Italian club revealed concerns over a knee injury that has been carefully managed by Palace this season and they do not believe it requires surgery. Mateta, who was left out of Palace’s game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday after manager Oliver Glasner said he was “not at his best” due to uncertainty about his future, will now be expected to compete with Strand Larsen for a starting spot. But he faces a challenge to win back supporters who booed him off after his last appearance against Chelsea two weeks ago.
