The Spanish midfielder, a key part of the side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 edition of the competition in Qatar last year, suffered a medial collateral ligament injury as well as damage to his right knee cap following an on-field clash on Wednesday.

In arguably the best collection of performances from Asian players outside the continent all season, some of the region’s biggest names lived up to their star billing with dazzling displays.

With title-winning hat-tricks, Champions League semi-final volleys and star turns in the Premier League and Serie A just part of the story, the competition this week – based on performances from April 29 to May 4 – is fierce. Study our list of contenders, choose wisely and don’t forget to register your vote.

A total of 150 goals rained in over 60 matches in Goa, Jeddah, Riyadh and Sharjah with the teams from the West Asia section of the draw delivering plenty of drama as the games came thick and fast.

From long-range screamers to acrobatic efforts and stunning free-kicks, we've compiled a list that is sure to delight. Review the goals, and then vote for your favourite at the foot of the article.

From high-scoring forwards to those that create the goals and win the ball back, we shine the spotlight on the players whose statistics stood out as the continental competition got underway in West Asia.

Elsewhere, FC Khujand made the most of FC Istiklol’s absence to surge to the top of the table in Tajikistan, while Bashundhara Kings were dominant as league action returned to Bangladesh.

Join the-AFC.com as we bring you all the key news and results from Khujand to Khorramabad.

For the second successive week, Johor Darul Ta'zim failed to pick up all three points in Malaysia, allowing Kedah and Penang to close the gap, and the title race in Vietnam is heating up with just three points separating Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Viettel.

Join the-AFC.com as we review the best of the action from around Southeast Asia.

As well as a full set of domestic match fixtures from China PR and Japan's top flights, there was league action in Hong Kong, Macau and Chinese Taipei, so join the-AFC.com as we review the action from across East Asia.