The first news regarding Chadi Riad remains cautious. He was carried off on a stretcher on Saturday during Crystal Palace’s defeat to Everton (2-0) in the opening match of the Premier League, as the Moroccan defender must undergo examinations to determine the nature and severity of his injury.
A regular starter in the Eagles’ defense, the Atlas Lion was injured in the 72nd minute while attempting to intervene against Thierno Barry. Remaining on the ground, Riad had to be evacuated on a stretcher, visibly affected, before being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu. The images naturally raised significant concern, but no medical conclusions have yet been communicated.
Asked after the match by BBC Match of the Day, Pierre Sage urged caution: “For now, I don’t know. I hope it will be less serious than we fear. We are waiting for the medical examinations.” Chris Richards also assured that the entire locker room would support his teammate: “We will rally around him. This season is for Chadi.”
This latest alert is all the more concerning as Riad has already faced two lengthy interruptions since joining Crystal Palace. Injured to the knee ligaments against Norwich in August 2024, he then suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament during training in January 2025, shortly after his return. The Moroccan had managed to regain an important place in 2026 after a long rehabilitation. While awaiting the results of his examinations, however, no new ligament rupture can be confirmed.
