Shock at Al-Hilal: injury postpones Watkins' first appearance in the AFC Champions League Elite

Who will replace the English striker?

Al-Hilal supporters received shocking news ahead of their first match in the AFC Champions League Elite against Qatar's Al-Gharafa, after the club confirmed English striker Ollie Watkins would miss out.

Al-Hilal host Al-Gharafa tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Kingdom Arena in the Saudi capital Riyadh, in the first round of the league phase of the Asian tournament.

Just 24 hours before the clash, the club revealed Watkins had sat out the final training session held on Monday in preparation for the match.

According to a tweet on Al-Hilal's official account on "X", the English striker underwent a treatment session at the medical clinic at the Al-Majidiyah Sports Centre after feeling pain in his lower back.

That rules Watkins out of Al-Hilal's first match in the current edition of the AFC Champions League Elite. Frenchman Mohamed-Ali Cho now looks the leading candidate to lead the attack against Al-Gharafa.

Losing the English striker is a major blow. He has shone brightly since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window, taking part in four matches, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Al-Hilal bowed out of the last edition of the AFC Champions League Elite in the quarter-finals, beaten on penalties by Qatar's Al-Sadd. They remain the most decorated side in the tournament's history, with four titles.