Real Madrid academy product Cesar Palacios will return to Spain for further evaluation after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during the club's preseason tour of the United States, sources told ESPN.
The 19-year-old midfielder suffered the injury five minutes into his first-team debut on Wednesday night at Chicago's Soldier Field in a 1-0 loss to AC Milan.
Subsequent tests confirmed the severity of Palacios' injury, prompting the club's medical staff to put Palacios on a plane back to Madrid to prepare for surgery as soon as possible.
Palacios is one of Real Madrid's most promising prospects, having sparked the interest of Athletic Club just a few weeks ago.
Álvaro Rodríguez was also injured in the defeat to Milan, suffering a sprained ankle. Madrid's medical team is considering whether to send him back to Spain along with Palacios, ESPN has learned.
Real Madrid will face Clasico rivals Barcelona in the second game of their pre-season tour on Saturday in New Jersey.
