With a lengthy break since the last Continental ties in the East were played on March 4, teams have refreshed and reinforced their squads during the eight-month hiatus.

Among them are former Premier League stars, FA Cup winners, legends looking for redemption and those who've previously had a taste of the AFC Champions League and have some unfinished business.

Similar to the AFC Champions League (West), which was successfully staged last month, players and officials will be placed under strict health regulations and measures as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join the-AFC.com as we recap the early arrivals and look ahead to their first fixtures in Doha.

The Iranian champions sealed their spot in the December 19 final after a magnificent performance in the 2020 AFC Champions League (West) which was played in the centralised location of Qatar.

Having garnered just one point from their opening two matches before the tournament was halted in March by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iranian champions hardly put a foot wrong when the tournament resumed in September.

Join the-AFC.com as we relive Persepolis' journey to the AFC Champions League final, their second in three years.

It will come as no surprise that a number of the Persepolis side who have reached the 2020 AFC Champions League final made the line-up after their impressive displays throughout and they are joined by five other standout performers.

Below are the 11 players voted by the public on the-AFC.com, while an XI by Stats Perform, the official statistics provider for the AFC, is also included as a comparison.

Tell us who is your favourite player from the AFC Champions League 2020 (West) in the poll at the bottom of the article.

The-AFC.com has selected six forwards who, in the absence of the AFC Champions League since early March, have starred for their teams in leagues across Asia and will go into the tournament's resumption full of confidence

The tournament's second highest all-time goalscorer, Montengrin striker Dejan Damjanovic is one of the AFC Champions League's most familiar faces having represented FC Seoul, Beijing FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the competition.