Al-Hilal Faces Tough Challenge in AFC Champions League Opener
Al-Hilal’s Asian bid starts under a cloud. The stage is set, the Kingdom Arena is ready, the AFC Champions League Elite kicks off – and the Saudi giants are already counting the cost.
Their opening group game against Qatar’s Al-Gharafa was supposed to be a statement night. Instead, it has turned into a test of nerve and depth.
A brutal absentee list
The numbers are stark. Five big names. Five pillars ripped out of the spine of the team.
Saudi outlet Al-Maidan Al-Riyadi confirmed that Al-Hilal will be without Theo Hernandez, Ali Lajami, Hamad Al-Yami, Salem Al-Dawsari and Ollie Watkins for the clash in Riyadh.
Each absence hurts in a different way.
Ollie Watkins, the England star brought in to spearhead the attack, picked up an injury in recent training. It has already ruled him out of domestic and continental fixtures, and there is still no clear timeline for his return. For a side built to dominate the final third, losing its reference point up front strips away a major part of the game plan.
Then comes the captain.
Salem Al-Dawsari, the heartbeat and creative engine, will also watch from the stands. When Al-Hilal need a moment of inspiration, they usually look to him. This time, someone else must carry that weight.
At the back, the situation is no kinder. New signing Theo Hernandez is unavailable, denying Al-Hilal both his defensive presence and his surging runs from deep. Ali Lajami, another defensive option, is out as well, thinning the options in a zone where mistakes are rarely forgiven. Hamad Al-Yami, the energetic full-back, completes the list, removing yet another outlet on the flank.
For a club chasing a “perfect start” to the campaign, this is as far from ideal as it gets.
Depth on trial
Yet this is Al-Hilal. Expect resignation, and you will not find it.
Inside the camp, the technical staff have treated the crisis as a challenge, not an excuse. The message is simple: win anyway. Take three points in the opener and send a warning shot across the continent. Show every rival that even a depleted Al-Hilal remains a serious contender for Asia’s biggest prize.
The pressure is real. The margin for error is thin. But this is precisely the kind of night that reveals whether a squad has genuine depth or just big names on paper.
Al-Gharafa arrive in Riyadh with ambition, not awe. The Qatari side see opportunity in Al-Hilal’s problems and believe they can spring a surprise at the Kingdom Arena. They know the hosts are wounded. They will try to turn that into doubt.
So the equation is clear. One of Asia’s most powerful clubs opens its AFC Champions League Elite journey without five of its stars, backed by a demanding home crowd, against opponents who smell vulnerability.
If Al-Hilal still find a way to win under these circumstances, what will that say about their chances of going all the way this season?
