The seven-time UAE League champions said Ganiev underwent the surgery after suffering the injury during their UAE Pro League match against Al Wahda 10 days ago.

Clubs from eight different countries have won it, clubs from four more have reached the final, and players from throughout the sprawling Asian map, and beyond, have made their names.

But who would you choose in an all-time AFC Cup XI? To celebrate the return of the competition in 2021, the-AFC.com is asking the football fans of Asia exactly that.

Mehdi Taremi took his dream run to the UEFA Champions League, Daichi Kamada brought down the world champions, and Takumi Minamino, Eldor Shomurodov and Takuma Asano were in goal-scoring form as the cream of the continent starred for their respective clubs.

But who was the standout performer? Peruse our 10-player shortlist based on performances from February 18 to 24, and don’t forget to cast your vote.

There are no women players among this week’s nominees due to the FIFA International Window.

As the kick-off date for the historic 2021 edition approaches, the-AFC.com looks back at the 2020 tournament which turned out to be a thrilling affair despite the challenging circumstances.

We kicked off the series in style, with fans voting Persepolis FC's Mehdi Abdi Qara as the winner of Best Headers of 2020. Our next installment looks at the fabulous goals scored from free-kicks and invite you, the fan, to tell us which was your favourite.

The towering forward, 33, will lead the line for the Singaporean club in their first continental outing in over a decade, having most recently appeared for Maltese outfit Silema Wanderers.

In a career spanning more than 13 years and nearly as many countries, Comvalius is best known for his prolific goalscoring exploits in Indonesia, where he scored a record 37 goals for Bali United in the 2017 season.

Miura, better known as King Kazu, will be looking to extend his record as the oldest J-League first-division starter when his club Yokohama FC kick off their 2021 season on Saturday.

But he won't be the only veteran rolling back the years, with nine players over the age of 40 currently lining up for teams across the league's three divisions.

The fixtures - running until October - were released on Monday with the eight teams set to face one another thrice.

Former winners Brunei DPMM will not be competing due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, FAS said.