Crystal Palace: Mateta ‘not in the right place’ to play at Nottingham Forest tomorrow

Jean-Philippe Mateta will not be in the Crystal Palace squad for tomorrow’s crunch game at Nottingham Forest as he is “not in the right place” mentally.

The France striker has expressed a wish to leave Selhurst Park before Monday’s transfer deadline with AC Milan reportedly interested.

Mateta is Palace’s leading scorer this season with 10 goals in all competitions but has not netted since New Year’s Day, since when Glasner has announced he will be leaving in the summer and former captain Marc Guehi has joined Manchester City.

Speaking ahead of the trip to the City Ground, Glasner said: “I can confirm JP will not be in the matchday squad, but it is nothing to do right now with transfers. He is not in the right place.

“To play makes no sense. We have to protect the team and I have to protect him. That is why he will not travel with us to Nottingham.

“There is so much noise, so much speculation, so many things going on. We need every single player at their best and JP isn’t at his best right now with all the noise that happens.

“It can be football noise, but if someone has private issues where they can’t focus on football, then it makes no sense to play. He can’t help the team and perform at his top level. We decided it is better not to play him.”

Palace working hard on transfers – Glasner

Palace have made moves to replace Mateta, assuming he does depart, with Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen on their radar, although a deal has yet to be agreed.

“The club is working almost 24 hours a day right now,” added Glasner.

“Marc [Guehi] left two weeks ago and nobody is in. You can imagine it is not so easy – every team wants to play a successful season, so it is not so easy that you can get the players at the end of January. I see the club working hard to get players in to replace Marc and, of course, we have to prepare if something happens with JP.

“Again, to be clear, it can be that JP stays, and he is a Palace player on February 2, and it can be that JP has left the club and a new striker is in.

“These are the two situations we are talking about and discussing right now.”

Mateta will be motivated if he stays

Should a move for Mateta not materialise, Glasner has no concerns over the player’s hunger with the World Cup on the horizon.

“I know if JP stays he will be highly motivated because he has a big dream to play for France at the World Cup,” he said.

“Therefore, he needs to perform, and he needs to play better than he has played in the last few weeks. That is what he knows.

“Right now, it is tricky, but I am pretty sure on February 2, when the window closes, everybody has the same goal for a successful season. The individual goal for every player, they want to play for their country at the World Cup.

“That is why I can still sleep well.”

Palace are on a wretched run and have not won in the league since December 7. Defeat tomorrow would see Forest pull level with them on 28 points.