Crystal Palace and Moroccan defender Chadi Riad will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury during training.
The 21-year-old has sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a devastating setback that will sideline him for months.
Riad initially made his debut in Palace’s 4-0 Carabao Cup victory over Norwich City but lasted only 10 minutes before suffering a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.
That kept him out for an extended period, and just as he was nearing full recovery—playing a full 90 minutes for the Under-21s—he has now been dealt another crushing blow with this ACL injury.
His absence puts manager Oliver Glasner in a difficult position, as he prefers a system with three central defenders.
With Chelsea recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan, Palace’s defensive options are now limited to Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, and Chris Richards.
The Eagles had not planned to sign a defender in the current transfer window, but Riad’s injury could force them back into the market for reinforcements.
Riad, who initially joined Real Betis on loan from Barcelona before making the move permanent, has featured just three times for Palace’s senior team.
His only full 90-minute appearance came in January’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Stockport County.
