HONG KONG – Two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande will have to do without star man Paulinho as the delayed Asian Champions League East returns this week with a heavy schedule of games played in “bubble” conditions in Qatar.
Fifteen teams will race through 33 matches in a little over two weeks to complete the group stage, suspended because of the coronavirus since early March, with eight teams then playing the knockout phase to decide who reaches the December 19 final.
Shanghai SIPG players, including the former Chelsea midfielder Oscar, Asia’s most expensive player, arrived in full hazmat suits with face masks and protective glasses, illustrating the challenges facing the tournament.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, has already…
