Riyadh, September 15, 2026 — Al Hilal will begin their AFC Champions League Elite campaign without captain Salem Al-Dawsari, with the Saudi winger ruled out of Tuesday night’s meeting with Al Gharafa at Kingdom Arena.
Al-Dawsari remains on the sidelines as he continues his recovery following the knee injury that required surgery in Finland in July. The captain returned to Al Hilal’s headquarters in late August after around six weeks away, but his recovery has not progressed far enough for him to feature against the Qatari side.
His absence is a significant one for Al Hilal. Al-Dawsari has been one of the club’s most influential attacking players for years, and his experience in Asian competition has made him a key figure in the team’s continental campaigns.
Al Hilal face several absences
The Saudi side are not dealing with just one missing player. Current match reports list Al-Dawsari among several players unavailable for the opening fixture, including Theo Hernández and Ali Lajami. Other reports have also listed Ollie Watkins and Hamad Al Yami among the absences.
That leaves Simone Inzaghi with decisions to make before the opening whistle, particularly in attack and on the left side of the team.
Gabriel Martinelli is expected to attract much of the attention as Al Hilal look to compensate for the absence of their captain. The Brazilian winger is part of a revamped attacking group that gives the Saudi club more options despite the current injury list.
A familiar opponent for Al Hilal
Al Gharafa are not new opponents for the Saudi giants in the continental competition. Al Hilal defeated the Qatari club 2-1 in their previous AFC Champions League Elite meeting in November 2025, with Al-Dawsari among the scorers in that match.
This time, however, the captain will watch from the sidelines.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at Kingdom Arena, with kick-off at 9:15 p.m. Saudi time.
For Al Hilal, the immediate task is straightforward: start the new Asian campaign with three points while managing a squad missing several important names. For Al-Dawsari, the priority remains completing his recovery before returning to competitive action.
