The Premier League is set for a significant mid-season shake-up as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) prepares to kick off, potentially depriving clubs of 47 key players during the busy winter period.
Winter Exodus Threatens Premier League Campaigns
This year's tournament in Morocco runs from December 21 to January 18, directly conflicting with one of the most demanding phases of the English football calendar. The biennial competition threatens to destabilise numerous teams, with player absences potentially lasting up to one month.
While some clubs will weather the storm with minimal disruption, others face the prospect of being stripped of multiple first-team regulars at a crucial juncture in the season.
The Clubs Facing Major Disruption
Sunderland could be the hardest hit, with an astonishing nine players in contention for call-ups. Their potential absentees include influential Morocco winger Chemsdine Talbi, Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra, regular starter Simon Adingra from Ivory Coast, and Mozambique veteran Reinildo Mandava.
At the other end of the spectrum, three clubs emerge completely unscathed. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds United have no African players in their current first-team squads, giving them a significant advantage during this period.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim faces a challenging situation with up to four players potentially departing. While goalkeeper Andre Onana's potential call-up for Cameroon is mitigated by his loan spell at Trabzonspor, the Red Devils could miss in-form Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).
Key Players Set for International Duty
Liverpool's title defence could suffer a major blow with Mohamed Salah's expected participation with Egypt. The prolific forward has been below his usual standards this season, but his absence would nonetheless represent a significant loss for manager Arne Slot.
Manchester City might also lose Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, while neighbours United await news on several key attackers. The tournament favourites, Morocco, have representatives at Manchester United, Bournemouth, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace, meaning a deep run for the hosts could extend absences for these players.
Other notable Premier League stars likely to feature include:
- Yves Bissouma (Mali) and Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal) from Tottenham
- Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast) and Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria) from Nottingham Forest
- Carlos Baleba (Cameroon) from Brighton
- Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal) from Everton
The concentration of talent heading to AFCON means the tournament could genuinely influence the Premier League title race, European qualification battles, and relegation scrap during a traditionally pivotal period.
