Concern is high surrounding Chadi Riad. Starting for Crystal Palace on the pitch at Everton this Saturday during the opening day of the Premier League, the Moroccan international defender had to leave the field on a stretcher due to a new knee injury. The Eagles ultimately lost the match 2-0.
The incident occurred in the 69th minute. While stretching to prevent Thierno Barry from turning and shooting, the Atlas Lion appeared to twist his knee on his support leg. Remaining on the ground and visibly affected, he received treatment for several minutes before being evacuated. Takehiro Tomiyasu replaced him in the 72nd minute.
Aligned in a three-man defense alongside Chris Richards and Jaydee Canvot, Riad witnessed both goals scored by Everton. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, before Thierno Barry doubled the lead in the 53rd minute from a cross by Iliman Ndiaye.
This exit marks another setback for the Moroccan, who had already suffered two separate injuries since joining Crystal Palace. He was first injured in his knee ligaments against Norwich City in August 2024, which kept him out until December. A few weeks after his return, Riad suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during training in January 2025, sidelining him for nearly a year. More recently, he also left the match for Morocco against the Netherlands during the 2026 World Cup after receiving a blow, and missed the following match against Canada as a precaution. No diagnosis or duration of unavailability has yet been communicated regarding this new injury.
