Al Hilal hit by five absences before Al Gharafa AFC Champions League Elite opener

Al Hilal will begin their AFC Champions League Elite campaign without five key players when they face Al Gharafa at Kingdom Arena in the opening round of the group stage.

The Saudi club had been aiming for a strong start to the new continental competition, but will instead have to cope with significant absences across several areas of the team. The missing players are Theo Hernandez, Ali Lajami, Hamad Al-Yami, Salem Al-Dawsari and Ollie Watkins.

The absence of Watkins is a particularly difficult blow for Al Hilal. The England forward sustained an injury during recent training and has subsequently been ruled out of both domestic and continental fixtures.

There is currently no confirmed timeframe for his return to action.

Al-Dawsari, Al Hilal’s captain and one of their most important attacking players, will also miss the match. The club will be without new signing Theo Hernandez, defender Ali Lajami and full-back Hamad Al-Yami as well.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Midan Al-Riyadi reported that all five players would be unavailable for the meeting with the Qatari side.

Despite the scale of the absences, Al Hilal’s coaching staff will be targeting victory in their opening match. A positive result would provide an early boost in their pursuit of the continental title and underline their intention to compete strongly from the start of the tournament.

The match will also provide a test of the depth of Al Hilal’s squad and its ability to deal with pressure at the beginning of the competition. Al Gharafa arrive in Riyadh with high ambitions of their own and will look to cause a surprise against the Saudi side.

Al Hilal therefore face a demanding opening fixture, with five established players unavailable and the team required to adjust in multiple positions. Their response to those setbacks will be central to their hopes of making a winning start to the AFC Champions League Elite.