Chadi Riad could make his first Crystal Palace start in 13 months against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Riad has been sidelined since January 2025 with an ACL injury, having spent the four months prior recovering from an MCL injury.
His recovery has been disjointed, with Palace initially targeting a return to senior action in November 2025, but various setbacks forced the club to be cautious and tightly manage his return.
The 22-year-old has built towards a return in recent weeks, first playing 45 minutes for the Under-21s on January 10th, before making his first-team return from the bench in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.
25 minutes against Chelsea were followed by 70 minutes for the Under-21s the following day, effectively giving him a full 90.
Palace have been light at centre-back since Marc Guehi joined Manchester City for £20million earlier this month.
Riad is one of only four options for three centre-back slots, alongside teenager Jaydee Canvot and starters Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards.
Canvot had played apprentice Guehi but was forced start against Chelsea last weekend with Palace yet to find a replacement for their club captain.
The 19-year-old has made several blunders since joining from Toulouse, capped by giving away a goal and a penalty against Chelsea last weekend.
With Riad available from the start, Glasner may opt for the Moroccan international to start on the left of the back three as a more experienced head than Canvot.
Palace signed Riad from Barcelona in August 2024 for £14million after a successful full-season loan at Real Betis in the previous campaign, where he made 26 appearances.
“It’s either to start Chadi or start Jaydee,” said Glasner. “This is a decision I have to take. I’ve not made a final decision.
“I was really impressed with Chadi’s 15-20 minutes against Chelsea, coming back after one year out. He did so well, read the game well and was confident on the ball.
“He showed it in the Under-21 game on Monday and scored a header. He had a very good training week as well.
“Is he ready after a year of being out? That’s the question.
“In every game and training, we see big potential from Jaydee. But a few mistakes have led to goals.
“It’s now a decision I have to make, but one of them will start. They are a little bit different.
“Chadi has a very good header, maybe Jaydee doesn’t but he is very quick.
“Chadi is left-footed. Jaydee has to play on the wrong side but prefers to play there.
“Set pieces are a topic where we think we can score a goal. Nottingham are doing very well there. We did very well against Chelsea. This is what we have to consider and then decide.”
