Chadi Riad Ruled Out for Season After ACL Tear

Crystal Palace have been hit with a major early‑season blow, with Morocco international Chadi Riad ruled out for the rest of the campaign after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Medical tests this week confirmed the worst. As reported by the Daily Mail, scans showed a torn cruciate ligament, the injury Riad suffered in Palace’s match against Everton when he was forced off on a stretcher in the 70th minute.

For the 21-year-old defender, it is a brutal setback and a familiar one. This is the second serious knee injury of his career, coming not long after he had fought his way back into prominence at Selhurst Park. He had already endured a significant spell on the sidelines in his first season with Palace, whom he joined from Barcelona in a £12 million deal.

Last season finally seemed to turn the narrative. Riad worked his way into the side over the closing months, earning regular minutes and the trust of the coaching staff. His rise culminated in a starting place in the UEFA Conference League final, where he helped Palace beat Rayo Vallecano and lift the trophy. It felt like the launchpad.

Now the momentum has been ripped away. Riad came into this season determined to cement his place in the squad, full of ambition and expectation. One awkward moment, one serious injury, and that plan has been torn up.

For Palace’s staff, the news creates an immediate problem at the back. The club had already acted in the transfer market to reinforce central defence, bringing in Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea and moving close to a deal for Joel Ordóñez from Club Brugge. Riad’s absence only sharpens the need for those signings to settle quickly.

A year ago, Riad was fighting to prove he belonged at this level. He did that. Now he faces a different battle altogether: winning back his career trajectory from another long, lonely rehabilitation.