Omar Abdulrahman returns to the Al Ain line-up for tonight’s AFC Champions League clash with Al Hilal but there is no place for top scorer Asamoah Gyan.
There is also no place in the Hilal side for Yasser Al Qahtani, who starts his return to the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium on the bench.
The striker who secured the home side’s 10th Pro League title was afforded a rousing ovation from the Boss fans as he jogged onto the pitch to warm-up though.
Ghanaian international, Gyan, is also on the bench and with no official reason for his absence from the starting XI it seems he is being rested ahead of his side’s Pro League clash against Al Jazira on Sunday.
Following their defeat to Dibba Al Fujairah last week Al Ain’s lead at the top of the standings is down to six points so the game against their Abu Dhabi rivals has taken on greater significance in coach Cosmin Olaroiu’s thoughts.
Elsewhere it is a full-strength side with Mirel Radoi, Jires Kembo Ekoko and Alex Brosque all starting alongside UAE starlet Abdulrahman, who started on the defeat to Dibba on the bench.
Al Ain: Dawoud; Ahmed, Fares J, Salem, K Abdulrahman; Al Wehaibi, Radoi, Saeed, O Abdulrahman; Ekoko, Brosque
Subs: Abdulla Sultan, Yaqoub, Gyan, Ismail, Mohamed Salem, M Abdulrahman, F Fayez
Al Hilal: Al Sdairy; Albeshi, Al Dossary, Shahrani, Almarshadi, Ozeia; Qarni, Al Shalhoub, Faraj, Salem; Yoo Byung Soo
Subs: Al Shammari, Bolivar, Aldawsari, Al Qahtani, Nawaf, Massad, Wesley
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