Riyadh: Al Hilal coach Laurentiu Reghecampf feels that the suspension of Salem Al Dawsari is a big blow for his side as they prepare to host Al Ain in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
However, the Romanian boss is confident that the Saudi club can overcome the absence of the versatile young midfielder in the first leg at King Fahd International Stadium as they look to reach the AFC Champions League final for the first time.
The 23-year-old (pictured) began this season's competition on the Al Hilal bench but he has started in all of his club's last seven games, in which they have not conceded a single goal, and scored twice in the Round of 16 victory over Uzbek side Bunyodkor.
The Saudi Arabia international will, however, have to sit out Tuesday's game after he received his second yellow card of the knockout stage during the 0-0 draw against Qatari side Al Sadd in the second leg of the quarter-finals.
"The absence of Al Dawsari is a big problem for us as he is one of our best players but hopefully we could find the suitable solution for this problem," said Reghecampf.
"Thiago Neves is going through a good period as he had good performances recently and he will be a key player for us tomorrow."
Despite winning the Asian Club Championship twice, Al Hilal have not reached the final since that competition evolved into the AFC Champions League in 2002. Having taken charge of the club in the summer, Reghecampf is keen to see them break new ground in the tournament.
"Playing in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League is really special and we will try our best to reach the final," said the Romanian, who led Al Hilal to a 2-1 win over Najran in a Saudi league match last Friday.
"We should work very hard in order to achieve our target and our players are ready for the match.
"Our fans are looking for a victory and we will try our best to achieve a good win. I hope that we can repeat the good performances that we had recently and get an important win at home before the second leg."
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