Ollie Watkins back in Al Hilal group training before the Clasico

Ollie Watkins is back in full group training at Al Hilal. The England forward took part after completing his treatment and rehabilitation programme. The club said so on 30 September, ahead of the Clasico with Al Ittihad.

The news came in Al Hilal’s official training report. It said the squad resumed work under Simone Inzaghi after a rest period. However, the club did not say whether Ollie Watkins will be fit to play on 10 October.

What we know about Ollie Watkins

Africa Soccer reports that Ollie Watkins was recovering from lower-back pain and had been working separately. It adds that Al Hilal are trying to make him available for the Al Ittihad game. The club also hope to have him for the AFC Champions League match against Al Sadd on 13 October (Africa Soccer, 1 October).

That report also says Watkins joined from Aston Villa at the start of the season. It gives him four appearances and three goals for the club. We have not checked those figures against a club or league source, so treat them as that outlet’s numbers.

Why the timing matters

Al Hilal host Al Ittihad at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday 10 October, in round eight of the Roshn League. Goal says Al Hilal lead the table on 18 points, one clear of second place (Goal, 1 October).

Meanwhile, captain Salem Al-Dawsari also joined the session. The club said he took part in the first part of group training, then completed his scheduled programme. Our report on Al-Dawsari’s return before the Clasico has more.

The same training report said Hamad Al-Yami and Theo Hernandez continued their rehabilitation with fitness work using the ball. Group training is a step forward for Ollie Watkins, but it is not a match-fitness announcement.

For example, the club has not named a squad or said who will start. Inzaghi’s selection for the Clasico will show how far Ollie Watkins has come.

Images: Ollie Watkins during England v Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 23 June 2026, by Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons and Wikimedia Commons (both CC BY-SA 4.0), cropped. Archive photos in England kit, not from Al Hilal training.