Arsenal
Takehiro Tomiyasu, a player from Japan, has suggested that the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia should be scheduled for June, similar to the timing of the Euros. This request comes as Tomiyasu has been performing well this season and may miss up to five games if Japan, the favorites, make it to the final round of the Asian Cup. Meanwhile, Mohamed Elneny of Egypt will be participating in the Afcon tournament, but Thomas Partey, who is injured, has not been chosen to represent Ghana.
Aston Villa
Unfortunately, Bertrand Traoré from Burkina Faso has not played in a league game since October. However, his absence should not greatly affect Villa, as they have strong players like Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby performing well on the right wing this season.
Bournemouth
Dango Ouattara from Burkina Faso had to leave the game against Tottenham on Sunday due to a swollen ankle, but is expected to join his team in Ivory Coast. Antoine Semenyo, who was born in London and represents Ghana, recently made his debut in the Afcon qualifiers and has already become a key player for his national team. Hamed Traorè has been removed from Ivory Coast’s roster due to his club, Bournemouth, announcing that he is recovering from malaria.
Brentford
Unfortunately, the absences of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo have left a gap in Brentford’s lineup. The departure of forward Yoane Wissa, who hails from the DR Congo, is a significant setback. Meanwhile, Saman Ghoddos from Iran has been a regular starter for the past seven games. The loss of midfielder Frank Onyeka from Nigeria is also a blow, but 19-year-old Kim Ji-soo from South Korea has not yet had the opportunity to make his debut since joining the team in the summer.
Brighton
Kaoru Mitoma (Japan), one of three players on this list to feature in the Guardian’s top 100 male footballers in world, will be key for his country at the Asian Cup. Tariq Lamptey’s injury means he has been left out of the Ghana squad and although there were concerns the same fate could befall Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast) after a hamstring strain the winger has said “the rumours that Brighton are keeping me away from the Afcon are completely wrong”.
Burnley
Three sides must not lose a player. Lyle Foster was initially chosen for South Africa’s preliminary roster but was later excluded due to mental health concerns. Burnley’s manager, Vincent Kompany, deemed this to be a wise decision, even though the striker had been playing in Burnley’s last three games. Anass Zaroury did not make the cut for Morocco’s squad.
Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson (Senegal) is the only departure as he makes his Afcon debut, hoping to help his country defend the title they won in Cameroon. The striker has split opinion since his move from Villarreal and will miss a minimum of four matches.
Crystal Palace
Jordan Ayew from Ghana has departed for his sixth African Cup of Nations, where he will join his brother André. Although he is not known for scoring many goals for both his club and national team, he is highly regarded for his intelligence and selfless efforts on the field. Cheick Doucouré, who was expected to be included in Mali’s team, unfortunately suffered an achilles injury that ended his season.
Everton
Idrissa Gueye (Senegal) is one of six Premier League players in the favourites’ squad. Abdoulaye Doucouré made his Mali debut in 2022 but turned down his country’s call-up to help Everton’s relegation fight. “I don’t want to go,” he said.
Fulham
Calvin Bassey, originally from Italy but raised in east London, is making his first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) for the Nigerian team. His teammate Alex Iwobi, also from Nigeria, is participating in his third tournament and hopes to achieve the same success as his uncle Jay-Jay Okocha did in 1994. Fodé Ballo-Touré from Senegal is another player who will be leaving the team.
Liverpool
The absence of Mohamed Salah from the Egyptian team is a significant setback, as he currently shares the top spot in the Premier League’s scoring leaderboard with 14 goals. Supporters of Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Arsenal are optimistic that the 31-year-old will return to the Afcon final. Meanwhile, Wataru Endo from Japan has become an essential player for Liverpool, but he will be leaving for the Asian Cup.
Luton
Issa Kaboré of Burkina Faso has left an impactful mark during his loan from Manchester City. Manager Rob Edwards will be pleased to see that Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was not included in the DR Congo squad.
Manchester City
City’s title contenders should be worried as they do not have any players absent due to international duties.
Manchester United
Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana will only join his fellow countrymen a day before their Afcon opening match against Guinea. This is because he has been given permission to play in Manchester United’s league game against Tottenham on January 14th. He will also be eligible to play in their FA Cup match against Wigan on Monday. Moroccan player Sofyan Amrabat has left for Africa, but 21-year-old Amad Diallo will not be joining Ivory Coast’s squad. Diallo recently made his first appearance of the season in a loss against Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle
They are not represented by a player in either tournament, but there have been rumors of them pursuing a transfer for Boulaye Dia, a striker from Salernitana who is currently on Senegal’s team.
Nottingham Forest
Six players from Premier League teams will depart for the African Cup of Nations, with three representing the host country (Ivory Coast) and three representing other nations (Senegal and Nigeria). This will result in significant losses for their respective teams, including Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangaré, Cheikhou Kouyaté, Moussa Niakhaté, and Ola Aina. These absences will pose a challenge for the new manager, Nuno Espírito Santo.
Sheffield United
The departure of Anis Ben Slimane (from Tunisia) is the main loss for the Blades, with Yasser Larouci (from Algeria) being the only other regular player leaving. Larouci was a surprise inclusion in the Afcon squad, but he has not played for Sheffield United since joining on loan from Troyes in the summer.
Tottenham
The absence of three key players greatly diminishes Spurs’ lineup. Pape Sarr (Senegal) has been performing well and was rewarded with a long-term contract, while Yves Bissouma (Mali) has also been impressive this season. How Tottenham fills the void left by Son Heung-min (South Korea) will greatly impact their success during this time. It’s likely that the team will have to cope without their captain until at least mid-February.
West Ham
Due to Lucas Paquetá’s injury, David Moyes is facing a tough time as Mohammed Kudus (from Ghana) is also unavailable. This is especially unfortunate for Moyes, as his team lacked creativity in their 0-0 draw with Brighton on Tuesday. Nayef Aguerd (from Morocco) being absent is another setback, but there are rumors that he may be transferred to Roma, Milan, or Saudi Arabia in January.
Wolves
Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea) has propelled Wolves to 11th with 10 Premier League goals – more than Ollie Watkins and Alexander Isak. Boubacar Traoré (Mali) has mostly featured off the bench but the departure of Rayan Aït-Nouri (Algeria) is a big blow – the left-back switched allegiance from France last year. The under-21 player Justin Hubner (Indonesia) has been selected.
Source: theguardian.com
