Al-Hilal Faces Tough Start in AFC Champions League
Al-Hilal’s Asian bid starts under a cloud. The Kingdom Arena will be full, the lights blazing, the anthem booming – but the squad sheet tells a harsher story.
Five big names are out as the Saudi giants launch their AFC Champions League Elite campaign against Qatar’s Al-Gharafa in the opening round of the group stage. For a club that talks openly about continental titles, this is not the platform they imagined.
A brutal absentee list
The concerns are real, and they are stacked across the pitch.
According to Saudi newspaper Al-Maidan Al-Riyadi, Al-Hilal will go into the clash without Theo Hernandez, Ali Lajami, Hamad Al-Yami, Salem Al-Dawsari and Ollie Watkins.
That is not rotation. That is the spine of a game plan ripped out.
Ollie Watkins, the England forward brought in to add a ruthless edge, has been sidelined after picking up an injury in recent training. The setback has ruled him out of both domestic and continental fixtures, with no clear timeline yet for his return.
Then comes the blow in leadership and flair. Captain Salem Al-Dawsari, the heartbeat of Al-Hilal’s attack and one of their most decisive weapons in big nights, will also miss the encounter. Around him, the defensive structure has taken hits too: new signing Theo Hernandez is unavailable, as are defender Ali Lajami and full-back Hamad Al-Yami.
A perfect start to the group, the kind that settles nerves and sends a warning shot across Asia, suddenly looks much harder to engineer.
Depth under the spotlight
The absences don’t change the expectation. Not at a club like Al-Hilal.
Inside the camp, the message is simple: defy the circumstances, win the opener, and let the rest of the continent feel the intent. The technical staff know what this match represents. Three points here would be more than an early lead in the group; it would be a statement that even without several stars, the “Leader” still marches at full pace towards the trophy.
The pressure, then, shifts to the squad players and the system. This Al-Gharafa tie becomes a live audit of Al-Hilal’s depth, character and ability to absorb pressure when the comfort of a full-strength XI disappears.
And Al-Gharafa are not flying in to make up the numbers. The Qatari side arrive in Riyadh with serious ambition, eyeing the chaos in the Al-Hilal ranks as a rare chance to spring a shock in the Kingdom Arena.
Al-Hilal wanted a launchpad. Instead, they get a trial by fire. How they handle this opening night could say plenty about where their continental journey is really heading.
