Jean-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.
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.