Inzaghi's Concerns Over Watkins as Al-Hilal Begin AFC Champions League

Simone Inzaghi heads into Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League Elite opener with one major question hanging over his team sheet: will Ollie Watkins make it?

The English forward remains a doubt for Tuesday night’s clash with Qatar’s Al-Gharafa at Kingdom Arena, with the Italian coach refusing to guarantee his involvement on the eve of the game.

“This is a big tournament and dear to our hearts,” Inzaghi told reporters, with Kalidou Koulibaly alongside him. Training on Monday, he said, would determine whether Watkins is fit enough to feature.

What is not in doubt is how seriously Al-Hilal are taking this competition.

Old foe, same danger

Al-Gharafa are no mystery. Al-Hilal know exactly what they are walking into.

“We know Al-Gharafa well, we faced them last year,” Inzaghi said, noting that the Qataris arrive with “almost the same coach and players” and “fast forwards” that can punish any lapse.

So the tone from the home dugout is clear: no easing into this campaign, no early-season drift. “We will enter the match with full ferocity,” Inzaghi declared.

Al-Hilal host the first round of the league phase just 48 hours after their domestic meeting with Al-Taawoun, a demanding schedule that would test any squad. Inzaghi, though, has chosen to narrow the lens.

“We think about each match on its own,” he said. “Tomorrow is our first match in the tournament… and we will aim to win the match.”

Heavy schedule, heavier expectations

Three games in quick succession, the physical toll rising, yet Al-Hilal still sit on top of the Roshn League table. That fact has become part of Inzaghi’s message: this group knows how to live with pressure.

“The players are used to the pressure,” he said. “We played 3 consecutive matches, and despite that we are still top of the league table.”

The numbers back his confidence. Inzaghi pointed out that Al-Hilal are “the best team on both the attacking and defensive fronts” in the Saudi league. Now, he wants that domestic dominance to bleed into Asia.

“Tomorrow we will open a new chapter in the Asian tournament,” he added.

Injury update and selection calls

There was at least one boost for Al-Hilal. Inzaghi confirmed that Simon Bouabre will be available, a timely reinforcement as the games pile up.

“Bouabre will be available for the match, and we will aim to use all available players in this tournament,” he said, underlining the importance of depth across a long continental campaign.

Watkins remains the big doubt. Inzaghi made it clear his status hinges on the final training session: “Whether (Ollie) Watkins participates or not will be decided after today’s training.”

What is certain is that Crysencio Summerville and Gabriel Martinelli will play, two attacking weapons expected to shoulder extra responsibility if Watkins does not make the XI.

Chasing redemption in a favourite competition

For all their stature, Al-Hilal enter this edition with a scar. Last season’s AFC Champions League Elite run ended in the quarter-finals, a penalty shootout defeat to Al-Sadd cutting them off before the final stretch.

It stung. Clubs of Al-Hilal’s size do not measure success by last-eight exits.

They remain the most decorated side in the competition’s history with four titles, a record that brings both pride and pressure. Now they stand at the start of another campaign, at home, against a familiar opponent, with a coach demanding “full ferocity” and a star striker racing the clock.

The stage is set. The only thing left to discover is whether Watkins will be on it when the whistle blows at Kingdom Arena.