Crystal Palace are set to welcome back striker Jean Philippe Mateta from injury.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to make his return to action after recovering from a serious injury sustained against Millwall. The French forward has been cleared to return to training following his head injury, which occurred during Palace's FA Cup victory over Millwall on March 1. Mateta was forced to go to the hospital after a reckless tackle from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts left him with a head injury and a deep gash on his ear that required 25 stitches. Roberts was subsequently sent off and banned for six matches.

Mateta missed Palace's 1-0 Premier League win over Ipswich on March 8, which marked the last game before the international break. However, he has been working hard to regain his fitness and is aiming to be fit for the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham on March 29. He rejoined training earlier than expected and has been doing individual workouts to accelerate his recovery.

As part of his comeback, Mateta will wear a protective face mask, which will help safeguard his ear during aerial duels. The use of such masks has become more common in football, with players like Victor Osimhen and Kylian Mbappé recently sporting them. These masks are known to reduce recovery time significantly, and Mateta is now cleared to return for the upcoming FA Cup clash, according to Sky Sports News.

The 27-year-old posted a cryptic video clip on social media suggesting he is due back on the pitch. Posting on Instagram, Mateta wrote in the accompanying caption: "It's time."

Mateta travelled to Marbella for warm-weather training to aid his recovery and hinted he could be fit to make his comeback in the all-London quarter-final clash. When asked about his recovery and the timeframe for his return in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News last week, Mateta said: "We were in Marbella last week and I trained [not with the squad]."

On his return, he added: "I don't know. I'm still in touch with the specialists and the doctor. Hopefully, soon. Hopefully, I can play [vs Fulham]. Hopefully, they can see me. I'm in the ground every day."

Palace will be desperate to have Mateta fit again after enjoying an impressive season up front, scoring 15 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Oliver Glasner's team is aiming to secure a spot in the semi-finals at Wembley for the third time in nine years. They previously fell short with a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the 2021-22 season and a 2-1 extra-time loss to Manchester United in the 2015-16 final.