The Crystal Palace manager discussed Mateta's arrival as the 23-year-old completed his first full week with the club and confirmed he intends to name him in his matchday squad against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He said: "He’s been good. Unfortunately at the moment the training sessions you do with so many games tend to be fairly condensed and you don’t do a lot of work over big areas, it’s often much more small area work. It will be nice to see him when he can stretch his legs and play in a more 11-a-side area.
"He’s settled in very well, he seems like a very bright player and a bright person. We believe in him and believe that he will have a good future at the club. He’s in the squad [v Wolves] but I’m not prepared to say at the moment whether he’s starting or not, that will have to remain a surprise one way or another."
Focusing more specifically on Mateta's start to life on the pitches at Copers Cope, Hodgson explained that it is still early in his time with the club, and that every new arrival requires time to settle.
However, the Palace manager expressed no doubt in the frontman's ability or chances of adapting to the Premier League swiftly:
"Today [Friday 29th] was his second or third training session, so we are very much in the infancy stage of him training with us. The assessment I have of him and the club has of him is based on our scouting, watching him play all those games, following his progress and knowing he’s the type of player who fits the profile.
"I can’t really point at the moment to everything that’s happening in training. I think he’s ready. If I want to start him tomorrow there will be no problems with that, but on the other hand if I don’t want to play him from the start tomorrow, every training session, every day he spends with his new club is a step forward in allowing him to really showcase his talents.
"He can adapt quickly. He’s a physical player, a very strong player, a good athlete. Technically he knows his way around the field and in particular knows his way around the penalty area in terms of scoring goals. We don’t have any worries about that.
"It’s just like everything else – you come to a new club, everything around you is so different to what you’ve been used to; the language, the way people speak. You sometimes need a few days to settle down and get used to that new environment.
"But I don’t fear that he can’t handle it. It’s a question of looking at the players I have and deciding whether I need him to start or need him to start from the bench."
READ NEXT: Palace Preview: Potential for late drama v Wolves