After VAR review, Roberts, who hit both the ball and Mateta with his kick, received a red card in the eighth minute of the fifth round of the English FA Cup.
The 27-year-old French striker was able to move after the collision that occurred outside Championship team Millwall's penalty area. He received treatment for a longer period, including oxygen, and was then carried out on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. According to Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, Mateta suffered a wound behind one ear and a head injury.
Parish is critical of Roberts' actions.
This is the worst tackle I've ever seen on a football pitch. I think the guy needs to take a good look at himself in the mirror because he risked the safety of a professional colleague, maybe his life, with such a tackle, he says.
Premier League team Palace later won the match 3–1 and advanced to the quarterfinals.
In the evening, Mateta posted on his Instagram account that he's relatively okay.
He thanked everyone for their kind wishes and wrote that he'll be back soon, stronger than ever.
The club's manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Mateta suffered a serious ear injury.
