English goalkeeper Liam Roberts could face lengthy ban following horrific tackle

Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts could see his three-match suspension extended following a controversial incident in his team’s FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Crystal Palace.

The 30-year-old was shown a straight red card for a high boot challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta just six minutes into the game at Selhurst Park. The Football Association (FA) is now considering whether to escalate the standard punishment due to the severity of the offence.

The challenge left Mateta with a deep laceration to his left ear, requiring immediate medical attention on the pitch before the Crystal Palace forward was stretchered off.

Mateta was later taken to the hospital, where he received specialist treatment and 25 stitches. The French striker has since been discharged, with the club confirming his scans showed no further injuries.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was vocal about the seriousness of the incident, describing Roberts’ challenge as “the most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen.”

FA deliberates on extended ban

Roberts is currently facing a standard three-game suspension, but the FA is considering submitting a claim for a harsher penalty. If the governing body deems the incident “truly exceptional,” it can file a claim before the Tuesday deadline, along with supporting evidence, to Millwall.

Should the FA proceed, Millwall and Roberts would have until 6pm on the second business day after receiving the claim to submit a response, arguing why the standard punishment is sufficient. The case would then be reviewed by an independent regulatory commission, which could decide to impose an extended ban if the FA’s claim is upheld.

While the FA has yet to announce a decision, the incident is under review alongside other contentious moments from the weekend, including Wolves forward Matheus Cunha’s red card against Bournemouth.

Millwall defend Roberts amid backlash

In the aftermath of the game, Millwall condemned the backlash directed at Roberts, particularly online abuse. The club emphasised that Roberts had personally apologized to Mateta on the same evening, with the apology being “accepted immediately.”

In a strongly worded statement, Millwall criticised media coverage and public commentary for fuelling what they called an “unwarranted character assassination” of their goalkeeper.

“The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organizations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him,” the statement read.