Riyad Mahrez could miss up to seven matches for Manchester City when he captains Algeria at the delayed African Cup of Nations in the New Year, which will be held in Cameroon.
The 30-year-old, who scored his 50th goal for the Citizens in the 7-0 win against Leeds United last weekend, is set to be one of the star names on show and will be hoping to lead the current AFCON holders to their second successive title.
Although there have been suggestions that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 could force a third postponement of the 2021 tournament, AFCON is scheduled to take place between January 9 and February 6.
Due to FIFA major international tournament regulations, all players are set to leave their respective clubs around two weeks before the competition begins. This will likely see Mahrez leave Manchester after the Boxing Day clash with former club Leicester City.
Should Mahrez and Algeria reach the AFCON final, the winger could miss as many as seven matches for Man City across all competitions during the festive period.
With the AFCON group stage concluding on January 20, Mahrez is expected to miss City's Premier League trip to Brentford on December 29, the New Year's Day clash with Arsenal, a home fixture with Chelsea on January 15, and an away match against Southampton on January 22.
Mahrez will also miss the FA Cup third-round tie with Swindon Town on January 7, and should the Citizens beat the League Two outfit, then the winger may be unavailable for the fourth-round fixture in early February.
In addition, City's home game against Brentford on February 9 – just three days after the AFCON final – may come too soon for Mahrez if the Algerian participates in the showpiece event, as he would likely face a period in self-isolation following his return to England.
One slight positive for Pep Guardiola is that Man City's League Cup exit against West Ham United in October means there are now at least two fewer fixtures for the Spaniard to manage without Mahrez.
Oliver Thomas
