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NNFLFL | Page 5 F1 | Page 7 Thielen at Success without the double change means as Vikings nothing, says down Bears Hamilton TENNIS Wednesday, November 18, 2020 Rabia II 3, 1442 AH Thiem upsets Nadal at ATP GULF TIMES Finals in London SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL/ PREVIEW SPOTLIGHT Hazmat suits on, star players out as Injury worries for Asian Champions League returns AFP Chinese sides who are yet to Hong Kong play a match in the competi- Shenhua as Glory tion, which was halted after a handful of games eight months wo-time winners ago as the pandemic advanced. Guangzhou Ever- Coach Fabio Cannavaro, the grande will have to 2006 Italian World Cup-win- do without star man ning captain, will be hoping to TPaulinho as the delayed Asian make amends after Evergrande Champions League East re- lost their Chinese Super stand in their way turns this week with a heavy League title to Jiangsu Suning schedule of games played in last week. ‘We just finished our Chinese Super League season and we have some problems with injuries’ “bubble” conditions in Qatar. But they will have to do Fifteen teams will race without Paulinho, the former through 33 matches in a little Barcelona and Tottenham over two weeks to complete Hotspur midfi elder and their the group stage, suspended top-scorer in the Chinese Su- because of the coronavi- per League, who is out with a rus since early March, with thigh injury. eight teams then playing the Captain Zheng Zhi, 40, is knockout phase to decide who also ruled out for Evergrande, reaches the December 19 fi nal. who begin their campaign Shanghai SIPG players, in- against South Korea’s Suwon cluding the former Chelsea Samsung Bluewings on Sun- midfi elder Oscar, Asia’s most day and also face Japan’s Vissel expensive player, arrived in full Kobe in Group G. hazmat suits with face masks The group has been cut to and protective glasses, illus- three teams after Malaysian trating the challenges facing authorities refused to let Johor the tournament. Darul Ta’zim leave the coun- Qatar, the 2022 World Cup try, whose borders are closed host, has already successfully to stop the spread of Covid-19. staged the West zone compe- In Group H, Shanghai SIPG tition, won by Iran’s Persepolis play Sydney FC tomorrow be- who now await the East win- fore facing Jeonbuk Hyundai ner in the fi nal. Motors, the 2006 and 2016 But although Qatar was champions who are bidding praised for its “smooth de- for a trophy treble after win- livery” of the competition, it ning the South Korean league wasn’t trouble-free as defend- and cup double. ing champions Al Hilal were SIPG have Brazilians Os- kicked out when a coronavirus car and Hulk and Australia’s outbreak left them unable to Aaron Mooy at their disposal, fi eld enough players. but former West Ham forward Players and offi cials must be Marko Arnautovic was left out tested before departure and on after travelling for interna- arrival in Qatar, and will un- tionals with Austria. dergo further tests every three Beijing Guoan will similarly to six days, the Asian Football be without Cedric Bakambu Confederation said. Games after the forward fl ew off to will be played behind closed play for Congo. doors. China’s football association “All players and offi cials will urged Chinese teams not to also be put under a bio-secure bring players who have been bubble which limits their on international duty, fearing A view of the Education City Stadium, one of the venues which will host the Asian Champions League (East) matches. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil movement only to the hotel, possible coronavirus cases. stadium and training sites,” South Korea are one of sev- AFC winner Tony Popovic was at the helm on the AFC added. eral teams to run into problems Doha that occasion, the new-look Perth Glory According to the Beijing during the international break, will be led by freshly appointed A-League Youth Daily, all four Chinese with goalkeeper Jo Hyeon- coach Richard Garcia, and Cristian Ola, teams are staying in the same woo — who plays for Ulsan e will be unable to call upon some who will serve as the team’s head coach hotel in Doha, with four fl oors Hyundai in Group F — one of of his biggest names, but Shang- during their time in Qatar. each and separate dining areas six players to test positive dur- hai Shenhua head coach Choi This tournament represents a new be- to prevent mingling. ing their trip for friendlies in HKang-hee is hopeful for a suc- ginning for the Western Australians, who Evergrande are one of three Austria. cessful start when his side begin their 2020 haven’t featured in a competitive match AFC Champions League campaign against in nearly three months and arrive in Doha Australia’s Perth Glory in Doha today. The with a squad containing limited experi- match will be played at the Education City ence at the continental level. Stadium at 1pm. Ola conceded his side’s preparation More than nine months after its sched- hasn’t been ideal but believed Perth’s uled start date, the Chinese outfi t will youth can be a strength rather than a fi nally begin their quest for continental weakness. success, but with their league campaign “It’s defi nitely a diff erent approach for completed just a week ago, Choi said sev- each of the teams,” he said. eral of his players have arrived in the Qatari “Yes, we had a very short pre-season capital nursing injuries. preparation period which we need to ac- “We just fi nished our Chinese Super celerate in some ways, but on the other League season and we have some problems Shenhua coach hand we are aware of the national compe- with injuries,” said Choi, who led Jeonbuk Choi Kang-hee. titions and fi xtures of the other teams in Hyundai Motors to Asian glory in both our group, but also we count on capitalis- 2006 and 2016. ing on the fact that we have a number of “For us, our team selection is incom- youngsters that will take this opportunity plete. It’s a pity, but our fi rst target is still to and Fidel Martinez, who have been left out they are also facing problems with in- and challenge, and we’ll try to make the advance to the knockout stage and we need of the travelling party due to foreign player juries. For our fi rst game it will be quite most out of that.” to work hard together to achieve our target. limits, while Stephan El Shaarawy hasn’t diffi cult for us, especially on an attacking “We are aware about the elements that “For this team it is quite diffi cult be- made the trip having not appeared for the level, but we will use always the players we are probably not ideal to start with, but cause we have so many injuries, especially club in months. can use to try and achieve our target and we’ll try to look into transforming that into for the fi rst three matches. It’s going to be a Choi admitted that his side will be lack- play a good game. more of an opportunity for us rather than big problem for this team, but as the head ing a good deal of fi repower, particularly “Our target is defi nitely winning the playing victims or being the underdogs coach I still believe it’s a big opportunity in the early stages of the competition, championship, but we are currently expe- from the start. for us and I really do hope we can have a but believes that with time, and more en- riencing a lot of problems with injuries.” “We are aware that (Shanghai Shenhua) good showing at this tournament.” couraging physiotherapists’ reports, they While Shanghai Shenhua are chasing have a number of quality individual players Shenhua appear particularly hamstrung could yet fi nd themselves in a position to their fi rst AFC Champions League group and we will take them very seriously. How- in midfi eld and attack. Veteran Colombian challenge Asia’s best. stage win since way back in 2009, their ever, in saying that, we will try our best playmaker Giovanni Moreno is under an “It was quite a diffi cult selection not to opponents, Australian outfi t Perth Glory, from not only the tactical point of view, but injury cloud, while towering Korean na- allow (Bola os and Martinez) to come to are embarking on only their second ever on the youngsters’ motivation to step up to tional team striker Kim Shin-wook has the AFC Champions League, because we match in the competition, with their fi rst the standard of the competition and of the been on the sidelines since August. have these injuries,” he said. bringing a 1-0 away defeat to FC Tokyo opponent. Paulinho, the former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur Adding to those woes is the absence of “Also, among our foreign players like back in February. “We want to believe that we will com- midfielder, is out of the Guangzhou Evergrande side because recent Ecuadorian arrivals Miller Bolaños Giovanni Moreno and Kim Shin-wook, While former AFC Champions League pete quite well from this point of view.” of a thigh injury. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, November 18, 2020 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT NATIONS LEAGUE South Korea beat Qatar in friendly Finland match is ‘massive’ one for Wales, says Bale AFP Bale also expressed concerns London over catching Covid-19 after playing against Republic of Ire- land.