Al-Hilal Faces Challenges in AFC Champions League Opener
Al-Hilal’s Asian charge starts under a cloud. The Kingdom Arena is ready, the AFC Champions League Elite is here, but the Saudi giants walk into their opener against Al-Gharafa without five of their biggest names.
A bruising absentee list
The optimism of a fresh continental campaign has been checked by a brutal team sheet. Across the pitch, pillars are missing, and with them the idea of a smooth, statement-making start.
Saudi newspaper Al-Maidan Al-Riyadi confirmed the scale of the damage: Theo Hernandez, Ali Lajami, Hamad Al-Yami, Salem Al-Dawsari and Ollie Watkins are all out of the clash with the Qatari side.
Each name strips away a layer of security. Each absence complicates the plan.
Ollie Watkins’ injury is the latest and perhaps the most jarring blow. The England forward picked up a knock in recent training, ruling him out of both domestic and continental action. No one at the club can yet circle a date on the calendar for his return.
Then comes the captain. Salem Al-Dawsari, the heartbeat of so many Al-Hilal attacks, will watch this one from the sidelines as well. His creativity, his goals, his leadership – all missing on a night when the club wanted to roar out a warning to Asia.
New signing Theo Hernandez, expected to add power and thrust on the flank, is also unavailable. Defender Ali Lajami and full-back Hamad Al-Yami complete a list that would weaken any squad in the region, never mind one chasing the continent’s most prestigious prize.
A test of depth and nerve
So the picture is clear: Al-Hilal start their AFC Champions League Elite journey shorthanded, their ideal XI torn up before a ball is kicked. The dream of a flawless opening, a comfortable win to set the tone, has turned into a demanding examination of depth and mentality.
Yet this is where big clubs tend to show their teeth.
Inside the Al-Hilal camp, the technical staff are pushing a different narrative. The injuries are real, the absences unavoidable, but the target has not shifted. They want three points, and they want them with authority. A victory, under these conditions, would echo even louder across the continent, a message to every rival that the Saudi champions can absorb setbacks and still come swinging.
Al-Gharafa arrive in Riyadh sensing opportunity. The Qatari side know the scale of the task, but they also see a wounded giant, a stadium expecting a show, and a chance to spring an early shock in the group stage.
That turns this opener into more than just a routine first step. It becomes a measure of Al-Hilal’s resilience, their squad construction, their ability to manage pressure when the margin for error feels slimmer than it should in September.
The Kingdom Arena will provide the stage. The absences provide the storyline.
Now the question is simple: with five stars missing, can Al-Hilal still look like champions in waiting?
