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Rabat – Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad could be sidelined for nearly a year after picking up a devastating knee injury in training. The 21-year-old Moroccan may have damaged his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which would keep him out for most of next season too.
Unfortunately, Riad’s time at the club has been tough. . He made his debut in August 2023 in a 4-0 Carabao Cup win over Norwich City but was out just 10 minutes into the game, suffering from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury. This kept him out for months.
The Moroccan player worked hard to recover and recently played 90 minutes for the Under-21s, but now this new ACL injury has crushed his hopes of a comeback.
Riad’s absence leaves Palace in a tricky spot. Manager Oliver Glasner likes to play with three central defenders, but the team is now short on options. Chelsea recently recalled Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell, leaving Palace with only Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, and Chris Richards as fit senior center-backs.
The Eagles weren’t planning to sign a new defender this month, but now they might need to look into the transfer market again to find cover at the back.
The 20-year-old moved to Real Betis on loan from FC Barcelona before making the move permanent.
So far, Riad has played just three times for Palace’s first team. His only full 90-minute game was in January’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Stockport County.
Despite his injuries, the club believes in the Moroccan center-back’s talent and hopes he can bounce back stronger.
