As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations approaches, Premier League teams are preparing to cope without several important players who will be representing their countries at the tournament. With AFCON scheduled right in the middle of the league season — from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2025 — many clubs will feel the impact.
Only Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Leeds will escape the period without losing a single player, while Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to be hit the hardest, recording the highest number of absentees.
Below is the full list of Premier League players expected to miss action due to AFCON duty:
AFCON Players From Premier League Clubs
Aston Villa
Evann Guessand (Ivory Coast)
Bournemouth
Amine Adli (Morocco)
Brentford
Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso)
Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
Brighton & Hove Albion
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Burnley
Lyle Foster (South Africa)
Alex Tuanzebe (DR Congo)
Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
Crystal Palace
Cheick Doucouré (Mali)
Chadi Riad (Morocco)
Christantus Uche (Nigeria)
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
Everton
Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)
Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Fulham
Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Manchester City
Rayan Aït-Nouri (Algeria)
Manchester United
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Byram Mbuemo (Cameroon)
Nottingham Forest
Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
Sunderland
Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco)
Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique)
Habib Diarra (Senegal)
Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast)
Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo)
Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
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Tottenham Hotspur
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
West Ham United
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)
El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe)
Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)
Others
Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria)
