BY ALEX PEWTER
The forgotten man in Crystal Palace’s stable of central defenders, 21-year-old Chadi Riad returned to playing in a U21 fixture on Tuesday against Anderlecht.
It was his first outing following a lengthy knee injury he suffered 10 minutes into his second appearance, an EFL Cup fixture against Norwich City in August.
Unfortunately for the Moroccan defender, much like Adam Wharton during training this week, he suffered a minor setback in his recovery following that appearance, as confirmed by manager Oliver Glasner.
“Chadi is a little bit similar to Adam’s. He had a little bit of a reaction after the game. It doesn’t look serious, but we had to reduce the impact on his knee. It’s something you don’t want to happen, but it’s something we know can happen.
“Especially when you’ve been out for three-and-a-half months, we must find the right approach. So that’s how he is, but he has all our support to be back as soon as possible.”
Riad’s early arrival this summer as a left-footed and left-sided central defender did appear to be in anticipation of a Marc Guehi exit that never materialised despite heavy interest from Newcastle United.
Three-and-a-half months after that injury, the landscape at centre-back has entirely changed. With Guehi not leaving the club and the arrivals of Maxence Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah, it is likely he will find himself as the fifth option behind those three and Chris Richards on his return and in an uphill battle for Premier League minutes.
Riad was largely untested in his 45-minute appearance in the Premier League International Cup game against a very youthful Anderlecht on Tuesday. His return to the senior matchday squad is again on hold, but he is still a player signed with a long-term future in mind in South London, even if that has been delayed.
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