2016 AFC Player of the Year Omar Abdulrahman’s curious season has continued after a “lack of physical readiness” saw him left off Al Ain’s trip to begin their Group D-campaign in the 2018 AFC Champions League at Riyadh giants Al Hilal on Tuesday.

Abdulrahman, 26, has only appeared in 10 of the Boss’ 26 matches in all competitions this term through a combination of injury and a controversial domestic ban incurred for infractions on UAE duty at the Gulf Cup. His performance levels were also criticised by coach Zoran Mamic during his only club run-out this year, a 2-0 continental play-off triumph against Bahrain’s Malkiya on January 30.

These factors combined to see him miss Monday morning’s flight to the Saudi capital, which is the city of his birth. Al Ain were quick to offer an official explanation.

The 2002/03 winners tweeted: “Al Ain is missing the captain of the team, Omar Abdulrahman, because of a lack of physical readiness required following his failure to participate in the last two matches because of suspension.

“According to the vision of coach Zoran Mamic, he preferred to maintain the policy of letting one of the stars of the team recover.”

Al Ain were soundly beaten 3-0 on aggregate by Hilal in the late summer’s 2017 ACL quarter-finals.