The Premier League is preparing for one of its most challenging mid season periods in years as up to 43 players could miss several weeks of club action while representing their countries at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament returns to Morocco and runs from Sunday 21 December 2025 to Sunday 18 January 2026, creating a four week gap in availability for some of the league’s biggest names including Mohamed Salah and Bryan Mbeumo.
Afcon has long been a complicated hurdle for Premier League clubs. Held every two years, the tournament regularly overlaps with the busiest part of the English football calendar. This season the impact could be especially severe as six Premier League rounds, the FA Cup third round and the first legs of the EFL Cup semi finals will all take place during the Afcon window. Some players could miss as many as eight matches for their clubs.
Key Premier League Stars Set For Afcon Duty
Liverpool will once again be without the influence of Mohamed Salah who remains the face of Egyptian football. Egypt’s provisional squad also includes Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush which adds further strain to Pep Guardiola’s attacking options.
Manchester United’s new signing Bryan Mbeumo is another major absentee. The winger is expected to link up with Cameroon where he has been a consistent attacking threat. His Premier League form last season placed him among the division’s top nine scorers alongside Salah and Yoane Wissa.
Everton face double trouble with Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye both pushing for places with Senegal while West Ham’s new defender El Hadji Malick Diouf is another expected call up. Tottenham could lose both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr with Mali and Senegal, adding significant pressure to Ange Postecoglou’s midfield.
Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa was a surprise omission from the DR Congo squad due to injury and lack of minutes which gives Eddie Howe a rare piece of good news.
Clubs Facing The Biggest Selection Headache
Sunderland look set to be hit harder than any other Premier League side with as many as eight players potentially leaving for international duty. That number could significantly affect the team’s depth across all competitions.
Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace may also suffer notable disruptions with each club holding four Afcon eligible players. With Forest and Palace also competing in Europe this season their fixture load becomes increasingly demanding.
Brighton find themselves in a unique position. Despite having multiple African players in their squad none of them can be selected since their respective nations Ghana, Gambia and Guinea Bissau have failed to qualify. This avoids an additional problem for the club but also highlights how widespread African talent has become in the league.
Meanwhile Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds currently do not have any African players in their first team squads, leaving them unaffected by the tournament.
Nations With The Biggest Premier League Representation
Out of the 24 nations competing in Morocco, 15 have at least one player based in the Premier League. Nigeria leads the way with nine top flight players while Ivory Coast and Senegal follow closely with six each. These countries have become regular suppliers of Premier League quality over the past decade and their talent pools continue to deepen.
Five players in the league represent DR Congo and Cameroon have three. Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa and Mozambique each have one Premier League player set to feature.
Below is a table summarising the largest national contingents in the Premier League.
Nation
Premier League Players
Nigeria
9
Ivory Coast
6
Senegal
6
DR Congo
5
Cameroon
3
Algeria
1
Tunisia
1
South Africa
1
Mozambique
1
Premier League Players Already Confirmed For Afcon
Three nations have already announced their squads which means six Premier League players are officially set to appear in the competition.
Club
Player
Nation
Brighton
Carlos Baleba
Cameroon
Burnley
Axel Tuanzebe
DR Congo
Burnley
Lyle Foster
South Africa
Sunderland
Arthur Masuaku
DR Congo
Sunderland
Noah Sadiki
DR Congo
West Ham
Aaron Wan Bissaka
DR Congo
These confirmed call ups already give a sense of the scale of disruption and more are expected as additional nations announce their squads.
Premier League Players Not Going To Afcon
A handful of players have either missed out on squad selection or cannot participate because their countries failed to qualify.
Player
Nation
Club Status
Yoane Wissa
DR Congo
Not selected
Blondy Nna Noukeu
Cameroon
Not selected
Jackson Tchatchoua
Cameroon
Not selected
Antoine Semenyo
Ghana
Nation not qualified
Yankuba Minteh
Gambia
Nation not qualified
Beto
Guinea Bissau
Nation not qualified
Mohammed Kudus
Ghana
Nation not qualified
With the tournament approaching the Premier League is bracing for a month of unpredictable results and tactical improvisation as clubs adapt to losing key players. The impact will be felt across the title race, European places and relegation battle as nearly every team deals with some level of disruption.
