Chadi Riad was stretchered off in tears during Crystal Palace's trip to Everton, with the club now waiting on medical tests after he twisted his left knee while defending a cross from Vitaliy Mykolenko. The injury came in the 72nd minute at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Palace were quick to post their support on X: "We're right behind you, Chadi."
Palace's concern over Riad
Pierre Sage said: "At the moment I don't know, I hope it will be better than we think. We await the medical tests." That leaves the immediate prognosis open, but the wider worry is obvious. Riad has made only 16 appearances for Palace and has already spent a combined 430 days sidelined through injuries.
Chris Richards added: "You never want to see an injury, Chadi has battled with injuries throughout his career here, my prayers go out to him. We will rally around him, this season is for Chadi."
The left knee issue is especially awkward for Palace because Riad has only just been getting a run of minutes again. He joined from Barcelona in June 2024 for a reported £14million fee, and another spell out would be another setback in a spell that has barely had any rhythm.
Palace's wider squad questions
The injury came on a day when Palace also had other selection issues to manage. Ismaïla Sarr was omitted from the squad to face Everton amid transfer interest from Galatasaray, with reports also saying Palace are willing to keep him while interest continues.
Sarr has made 92 Palace appearances across all competitions, with 33 goals and 10 assists. That is why the transfer noise matters, but Riad's injury remains the more immediate problem for Palace after a bruising opening-day afternoon at Everton vs Crystal Palace.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
