Former Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is set to miss Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League Elite opener after suffering a lower-back problem.
Watkins sat out Al-Hilal’s final training session before Tuesday’s meeting with Al-Gharafa and instead underwent treatment at the club’s medical centre.
GOAL reports that Al-Hilal have ruled Watkins out after he complained of pain in his lower back.
It represents the first real setback of an otherwise impressive start since his £51million departure from Villa.
Ollie Watkins makes flying Al-Hilal start
Watkins has quickly established himself following his summer move to Saudi Arabia.
The England international has recorded three goals and two assists across his opening four appearances, immediately demonstrating the attacking qualities Villa supporters became accustomed to seeing at Villa Park.
His injury therefore arrives after a particularly demanding introduction to life with Simone Inzaghi’s side.
Watkins has been pushed straight into competitive action after moving late in the summer, and the latest back problem will now prevent him making his first appearance in Asia’s leading club competition.
For Villa, the situation provides another reminder of the significant attacking transition undertaken during the transfer window.
Unai Emery sanctioned Watkins’ departure before Nicolas Jackson arrived to spearhead a reshaped forward line.
Read Aston Villa previously examined how Jackson’s arrival changed Emery’s plan following Watkins’ departure.
Watkins’ excellent start shows Villa did not simply move on from a striker in decline.
Instead, they banked a substantial fee while reshaping the attack around younger options.
His latest problem should therefore be viewed as an early workload setback rather than evidence that his move has gone wrong.
