"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."
Jean-Philippe Mateta will miss Crystal Palace's match against Nottingham Forest and will not travel with the squad due to being mentally unsettled. Mateta has expressed a desire to leave the club before Monday's transfer deadline amid reported interest from AC Milan. Mateta is Palace's leading scorer with 10 goals this season but has not scored since New Year's Day. Heavy transfer speculation and private issues are affecting his focus, prompting the club to protect both the team and Mateta by excluding him. Palace are targeting replacements such as Jorgen Strand Larsen while working intensively on transfers.
Read at 101GREATGOALS.COM
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