English Premier League
Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad ruled out for season with ACL injury
Crystal Palace defender and Morocco international Chadi Riad will miss the rest of the season after medical tests confirmed he has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Riad sustained the injury during Crystal Palace’s match against Everton and was carried from the field on a stretcher in the 70th minute. The extent of the damage was confirmed by examinations carried out this week, according to the Daily Mail.
The injury is a major setback for the 22-year-old, who had been hoping to establish himself more firmly in the Crystal Palace side at the beginning of the new campaign. Instead, his season has been brought to an early end by a serious knee problem.
It is the second anterior cruciate ligament injury of Riad’s career. He previously missed time during his first season with Crystal Palace after joining the English club from Barcelona in a transfer worth £12m.
Riad had begun to rebuild his position within the team during the closing stages of last season. He was given more regular opportunities to play and eventually started the UEFA Conference League final, helping Crystal Palace win the trophy against Rayo Vallecano.
That progress had strengthened his hopes of continuing as an important part of the squad. His latest injury, however, has immediately changed those plans and leaves the defender facing another extended period on the sidelines.
The setback is also likely to create a fresh selection problem for Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, with Riad now unavailable for the remainder of the campaign. The club had already taken steps to improve its defensive options during the transfer window.
Crystal Palace signed Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea as part of those efforts. The club is also close to completing a deal for Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge, adding further depth to the back line as it prepares to cope without Riad.
For the Morocco international, the timing is particularly difficult. He had started the season with significant ambitions after his improved involvement in the previous campaign, including his appearance in the European final. His latest ACL injury now represents another interruption to his progress at Crystal Palace and in his professional career.
