Ollie Watkins ruled out of Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League Elite opener

Al Hilal forward Ollie Watkins will miss the club’s opening AFC Champions League Elite fixture against Al Gharafa after suffering lower-back pain.

Al Hilal host the Qatari side at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Tuesday in the opening round of the competition’s league phase.

The Saudi club confirmed Watkins’ absence from their final training session on Monday, 24 hours before the match. A statement posted on Al Hilal’s official account on X said the England striker had undergone treatment at the medical clinic at Al Majdiah Sports Centre.

“ Olie Watkins is undergoing a treatment session,” Al Hilal posted, alongside an image of the forward.

Watkins’ absence means French forward Mohamed Kader Meite is the leading candidate to start in attack against Al Gharafa.

The injury is a significant setback for Al Hilal, with Watkins having made an immediate impact since joining from Aston Villa during last summer’s transfer window.

The striker has played four matches for the club, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Tuesday’s game will be Al Hilal’s first in this season’s AFC Champions League Elite. They were eliminated from last season’s competition in the quarter-finals after losing to Qatari club Al Sadd on penalties.

Al Hilal remain the most successful club in the tournament’s history, having won the title four times.