Mateta thanks Milan for failed medical that revealed more serious injury
Quick summary
Jean-Philippe Mateta has thanked AC Milan for a failed medical that uncovered an injury more serious than he had previously been told about. The striker is now back at Crystal Palace managing the issue.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceJean-Philippe Mateta thanked Milan for his failed medical, because the knee injury was ‘more serious than I had been told’ by Crystal Palace. ‘Luckily, they found out exactly what was wrong.’
The striker had at first seemed upset and disappointed that his January transfer to the Rossoneri collapsed when the €35m deal had been agreed.
Looking back, he now considers it a crucial turning point in his career, and is grateful that the Italian club doctors were so thorough.
Mateta grateful to Milan for bad news LEIPZIG, GERMANY – MAY 27: Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace celebrates with the UEFA Conference League trophy after his team’s victory in the UEFA Conference League Final 2026 match between Crystal Palace FC and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Football Arena Leipzig on May 27, 2026 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images) “I was going through the medical exam and suddenly everything stopped,” Mateta told Canal+ Foot in France.
“My knee injury was actually more serious than I had been told. At that moment, when they explained it to me, all sorts of things went through my head.
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace runs for the ball during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Crystal Palace FC and AZ Alkmaar at Selhurst Park on November 06, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) “Ultimately I don’t regret anything, because if I hadn’t done that medical exam, how long would I have been dragging this knee issue along? How long?
“Luckily, I had that medical and found out exactly what was wrong with me.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 18: Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Crystal Palace FC and KuPS Kuopio at Selhurst Park on December 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) The striker had ruptured the meniscus in his right knee when playing for Mainz in 2019 and had surgery that kept him on the touchline for six months.
Jean-Philippe Mateta raconte avec lucidité son transfert avorté en Serie A, alors qu’il devait s’engager avec l’AC Milan
La suite de notre série documentaire STRIKERS, c’est demain à 21H00 sur CANAL+ pic.twitter.com/B0sPsDf4KW
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) August 15, 2026
Milan doctors felt that the issue was sufficiently serious that it required another operation, whereas Crystal Palace assured that therapy and load management would suffice.
It raised further eyebrows when then Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said it “wasn’t a big surprise” that he failed the medical with Milan.
“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.”
Ultimately, surgery wasn’t required, but Mateta was given complete rest and treatment for five weeks to help the knee recover enough that he could participate with France at the World Cup.
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What happened
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was set to move to AC Milan but the transfer collapsed due to a failed medical. Mateta has since thanked the Italian club, stating the medical revealed a problem more serious than he had been told. He has returned to Crystal Palace to address the injury. The incident highlights how the medical process at a top European club can uncover underlying physical issues that may have been previously underestimated, and Mateta's public gratitude suggests no animosity toward Milan over the collapsed deal.
Chance analysis
For Crystal Palace, retaining Mateta through injury rather than via a completed transfer is a mixed outcome — they keep an asset but one who now needs recovery time. The revelation that the issue was worse than diagnosed elsewhere raises questions about prior medical handling. From a Milan perspective, avoiding a signing with a significant underlying issue protects their squad depth. For prediction systems, Mateta's availability timeline is the key variable; expect him to be sidelined initially but the 'thanks' tone suggests the issue is being managed rather than career-threatening.
Crystal Palace lose attacking depth short-term as Mateta recovers from a more serious-than-believed injury discovered via Milan's medical.
Mateta is likely unavailable for Crystal Palace's upcoming fixtures while recovering from a newly identified injury; adjust short-term attacking expectations downward.