Millwall intend to fight extended ban for Liam Roberts after FA Cup horror challenge

Millwall intend to fight against any extended ban for their goalkeeper Liam Roberts after his FA Cup horror challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Mateta was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital after being kicked in the head by Roberts during Millwall’s 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday, with away fans taunting the striker with chants of ‘let him die’.

Palace chairman Steve Parish was left absolutely furious at the incident, which saw Roberts sent off early into the first-half, labelling it ‘the most reckless challenge’ he had ever seen from any player in a football match.

Roberts faces an extended ban after the Football Association (FA) claimed that the usual three-game ban would be an insufficient punishment but Millwall have vowed to fight against it, according to Sky Sports.

‘Millwall Football Club acknowledges the FA’s statement and will continue to support Liam who has been subjected to horrendous online abuse since Saturday’s collision,’ the Championship club said on Wednesday.

The FA, meanwhile, said in a statement: ‘The FA has submitted a claim seeking to increase Liam Roberts’ sanction following his sending off in the FA Cup tie between Millwall and Crystal Palace on Saturday, March 1.

‘The goalkeeper was sent off for serious foul play around the 6th minute. The FA claims that in the circumstances the standard punishment for this offence is clearly insufficient. Liam Roberts has until Thursday, 6 March, to provide a response.’

Roberts was trying to clear a dangerous through ball when the incident occurred on Saturday – but kicked Mateta in the head with his follow through – with the Palace star badly hurt and given oxygen as he was down on the ground getting treatment for nine minutes in worrying scenes.

Mateta later provided an update from his hospital bed, posting on social media: ‘Thank you all for your kind messages. I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon. And stronger than ever. Well done guys for the great job today. I love you. JP.’

Speaking after the win over Millwall, Palace head coach Oliver Glasner said: ‘His ear looks terrible. It’s a very serious injury so we hope all the best for him.

‘We are not really happy, we can’t be really happy. Of course, it’s a great win and into the quarter-finals but when you lose a player, especially with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach.

‘Honestly, I didn’t want to see it, I just watched it and it is terrible. I’m sure the goalkeeper didn’t want to injure JP in this situation, no player wants this.

‘But if you got to the ball with this with this intensity, with the foot at that height, you can’t do it because it’s so dangerous and we all have responsibilities for our health.

I don’t want to blame him but it is a terrible foul. I didn’t see it like it was in the game, it was so quick, I could see the keeper had a lot of intensity, but he touched the ball first. But I could see it now in slow motion and it’s worse.’

Millwall head coach Alex Neil added: ‘I think the ball went in behind, [goalkeeper] Liam Roberts has come out which he has done in many games he’s played.

‘He’s misjudged it and caught the lad. He has mistimed it, he got sent off which at that stage made the game doubly difficult for us.

‘I don’t think it is meant. I don’t think there is any intent, why would there be intent? We don’t want the lad to be injured. We wish him well and hope he is back on the pitch soon. It was a mistiming, he was sent off, he is disappointed and will hope Mateta is fine, which we all do.’