Inzaghi Faces Watkins Dilemma as Al-Hilal Begin AFC Campaign

Al-Hilal step back onto the continental stage on Tuesday night with history at their back and a question mark over one of their biggest attacking weapons.

Simone Inzaghi confirmed on Monday that Ollie Watkins is a doubt for the AFC Champions League Elite opener against Qatar’s Al-Gharafa at Kingdom Arena, with the English forward to be assessed after the team’s final training session.

“Whether (Ollie) Watkins participates or not will be decided after today's training,” the Italian said, leaving a late call hanging over his starting XI.

What is certain is that Al-Hilal arrive as the team to beat. They are top of the Roshn League, boasting the best attack and defence in the competition, and now turn to a tournament that has defined the club’s identity for decades.

“This is a big tournament and dear to our hearts,” Inzaghi told reporters, in comments carried by Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. “In today's training we are aiming to prepare well to play our first match in it.”

Familiar foe, fresh chapter

The draw has handed Al-Hilal an opponent they know well. Al-Gharafa stood in their way last season, and little has changed on the Qatari side.

“We know Al-Gharafa well, we faced them last year,” Inzaghi said. “They have almost the same coach and players, they have fast forwards, and we will enter the match with full ferocity.”

The timing is tight. Al-Hilal come into the game just 48 hours after a league meeting with Al-Taawoun, part of a demanding run that has already tested the squad’s depth.

“We think about each match on its own, and tomorrow is our first match in the tournament,” Inzaghi explained. “We came out of the meeting with Al-Taawoun 48 hours ago, and we will aim to win the match.”

The schedule has not knocked them off their domestic stride. “The players are used to the pressure, we played 3 consecutive matches, and despite that we are still top of the league table,” he said, a reminder of the standards now expected in Riyadh.

Selection puzzle and attacking options

There is some good news on the fitness front. Inzaghi confirmed that (Simon) Bouabre is available and in contention.

“(Simon) Bouabre will be available for the match, and we will aim to use all available players in this tournament,” he said, hinting at rotation across the Asian campaign.

Even if Watkins does not make it, Al-Hilal will not be short of firepower. Inzaghi underlined that (Crysencio) Summerville and (Gabriel) Martinelli are set to feature, adding pace and incision to a side already regarded as the most complete in Saudi Arabia.

“We are the best team on both the attacking and defensive fronts (in the Roshn League), and tomorrow we will open a new chapter in the Asian tournament,” he stated, framing the night as the start of something bigger than a single group-stage fixture.

Chasing redemption in a favourite arena

For all their domestic dominance, Al-Hilal still carry a scar from last season’s AFC Champions League Elite. They crashed out in the quarter-finals to Al-Sadd on penalties, a brutal exit for a club that measures itself by continental trophies.

They remain the competition’s most decorated side with four titles. That history hangs over every Asian night at Kingdom Arena.

Now comes the first step in another tilt at the crown. Fitness tests, selection calls, and the familiar tension of knockout ambitions starting in the group phase.

For a club built on continental nights, anything less than a serious run at a fifth title will feel like a missed year.