Which Premier League club will be affected the most by AFCON absentees

The 2025 African Cup of Nations gets underway on December 21, with Premier League clubs expected to release eligible players no later than six days before the tournament begins.

FIFA’s December 15 deadline could make for a rare exception in the case of Manchester United and Bournemouth, who face each other on that date, although at worst all involved individuals are expected to depart immediately afterwards.

With the tournament set to last around a month, the absence of key figures is likely to be felt across the division during a demanding winter period.

Some clubs could welcome players back earlier depending on how far their nations progress, though disruption remains inevitable with the AFCON group stage not concluding until December 31.

With that in mind, Sports Mole ranks Premier League sides from least to most affected by AFCON absentees, assessing the scale of disruption each club could face.

AFCON 2025: What Premier League club will be affected the most by absentees?

20. NEWCASTLE UNITED

Number of absentees: None

Newcastle may quietly count themselves fortunate amid the wider disruption, with DR Congo striker Yoane Wissa missing out on AFCON selection following his recent knee injury and remaining available for the winter schedule.

19. BOURNEMOUTH

Number of absentees: None

Ghana’s failure to qualify for the tournament comes as a boost for Bournemouth, who retain Antoine Semenyo after his impressive start to the season.

Morocco’s omission of winger Amine Adli further eases the burden, allowing Andoni Iraola to approach the festive period with continuity in his attacking unit.

18. LEEDS UNITED

Number of absentees: None

Leeds have no players involved at AFCON, sparing them from mid-season disruption as they look to carry momentum through a demanding run.

17. CHELSEA

Number of absentees: None

Chelsea also avoid AFCON disruption entirely, with no first-team players representing African nations this winter, leaving Enzo Maresca with one fewer concern as his side look to navigate a tough schedule that includes meetings with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Fulham.

16. ARSENAL

Number of absentees – None

Like their London rivals, Arsenal have no first-team players heading to AFCON, allowing Mikel Arteta to at least take some comfort as his squad depth continues to be tested by injuries.

15. ASTON VILLA

Number of absentees – One (standby)

Aston Villa currently have no confirmed absentees, although Ivory Coast forward Evann Guessand remains on standby should late withdrawals occur.

Even if called up, the 24-year-old’s potential absence may not heavily disrupt Unai Emery’s plans given his limited role so far.

14. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Number of absentees: Two

Tottenham’s AFCON contingent consists of Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma and Senegal international Pape Matar Sarr.

The impact is softened by context, however, with Bissouma having not featured once this season due to injury and Sarr starting just twice in Spurs’s last 12 matches.

13. CRYSTAL PALACE

Number of absentees: One

Crystal Palace will be without Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr, a key outlet when fit and available, though results without him suggest Oliver Glasner’s side may be capable of coping, having won three of their four such games (D).

12. MANCHESTER CITY

Number of absentees: Two

Manchester City will lose Algeria defender Rayan Aït-Nouri and Egypt forward Omar Marmoush to AFCON, though neither has been a guaranteed starter, reducing the overall disruption for Pep Guardiola.

11. LIVERPOOL

Number of absentees: One

Liverpool’s sole absentee is Egypt captain Mohamed Salah, whose involvement would usually represent a major blow; however, with selection dynamics shifting under Arne Slot, uncertainty remains over how much the attacker’s absence will be felt.

10. NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Number of absentees – Two

Nottingham Forest will be without Ivory Coast duo Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly, and while the latter has yet to feature in the league this season, the former’s departure removes an important presence in midfield.

9. BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Number of absentees – One

Brighton will be without Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba, who has been instrumental in the engine room this season; meanwhile, featuring in every league match so far further highlights how much his absence could prove difficult to mask.

8. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Number of absentees: Two

Wolves are in a precarious position, sitting rock bottom and 14 points from safety, with any slim hopes of mounting a survival fight potentially dented by AFCON absences.

Emmanuel Agbadou has been called up to represent Ivory Coast and would be a notable loss, having been a regular this season with over 1,000 Premier League minutes to his name.

That concern is less pronounced with Tawanda Chirewa, as the Zimbabwe international has managed just 21 minutes across the entire campaign and is unlikely to leave a major void.

7. BRENTFORD

Number of absentees: Two

Signed in the summer from Bournemouth, Dango Ouattara has quickly become integral under Keith Andrews, directly contributing to seven goals in 15 appearances and leaving a clear gap as he heads to AFCON with Burkina Faso.

Frank Onyeka is Brentford’s other absentee, though the Nigeria midfielder has largely played a squad role and is not expected to leave the same level of impact.

6. WEST HAM UNITED

Number of absentees: Two

West Ham will be without both first-choice full-backs, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to represent DR Congo at the AFCON and El Hadji Malick Diouf joining Senegal.

Both have been regular starters, each logging over 1,000 minutes this season, leaving head coach Espirito Santo facing a clear defensive headache as he looks to plug the gaps left by their absence.

5. EVERTON

Number of absentees – Two

Everton will lose two players of real significance, with Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye both departing to join Senegal.

Gueye has been central to David Moyes’ midfield, missing only three matches through suspension and starting the other 13, while Ndiaye has featured in all 16 league games and contributed six goals, making both absences keenly felt.

4. BURNLEY

Number of absentees: Three

Burnley’s survival bid takes another hit with Axel Tuanzebe, Lyle Foster and Hannibal Mejbri all heading to the AFCON.

Tuanzebe has started every league match he has been available for and will represent DR Congo, while Foster joins South Africa, having started 11 of his 14 Premier League outings despite modest returns.

Hannibal has played a lesser role, logging 399 minutes and missing the last two matches through suspension, though his departure still reduces Scott Parker’s options.

3. MANCHESTER UNITED

Number of absentees: Three

Ruben Amorim faces a selection headache with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui all set to depart for AFCON duty.

Mbeumo, who leads United’s league scoring chart with six goals, joins Cameroon, and his absence will definitely be a major loss in the final third.

Amad links up with Ivory Coast and leaves a clear gap on the right flank, while Mazraoui heads off with hosts Morocco, adding further strain despite a mixed league campaign.

2. FULHAM

Number of absentees – Three

Fulham will lose Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi, all of whom are set to represent Nigeria at the AFCON.

Iwobi and Bassey remain mainstays under Marco Silva, while Chukwueze has recently forced his way into the side, starting three of the last four league matches and contributing five goals.

With all three featuring regularly of late, Fulham rank among the sides most affected by AFCON absences.

1. SUNDERLAND

Number of absentees: Six

By every measure — volume, importance and fixture difficulty — Sunderland appear the most affected by AFCON absentees.

Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki will represent DR Congo, Chemsdine Talbi links up with Morocco, Reinildo Mandava joins Mozambique, while Habib Diarra and Bertrand Traore head off with Senegal and Burkina Faso, respectively.

With four regular starters among those departing, Regis Le Bris faces a daunting period that clashes with Manchester City, Brighton, Tottenham and Crystal Palace.