The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) begins this Sunday in Morocco, triggering a significant mid-season exodus from the Premier League. A total of 32 top-flight players have been called up by their nations, leaving their clubs to navigate a congested festive period without key personnel. The impact, however, will be felt very differently across the division, with one newly-promoted side bearing the brunt of the absences.
Sunderland Suffer Biggest Squad Drain
Despite a magnificent return to the Premier League that sees them on 26 points after 16 games, Sunderland face a severe test of their squad depth. The Black Cats are losing a staggering six players to the tournament – nearly a fifth of all Premier League representatives and double the number of any other club.
The sextet of Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), and Habib Diarra (Senegal) have collectively made 61 appearances and played 4,412 minutes this season. Their absence represents a higher total of minutes lost than for any other Premier League team.
Midfielder Noah Sadiki, who has missed just 26 minutes of league action, could be the most significant loss. A tireless presence alongside Granit Xhaka, he is crucial in building play and ranks among Sunderland's top chance creators. Fellow departees Traoré and Talbi also feature in that creative group, leaving manager Régis Le Bris with a considerable puzzle to solve.
Clubs Losing Multiple Key Men
Several other clubs will feel the pinch of losing multiple first-team players. Fulham see Nigerian trio Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze depart. Should Nigeria reach the final on 18th January, Fulham will be without them for at least six league games. Iwobi is their leading chance creator, while Chukwueze is in rich form with five goal involvements in his last five appearances.
Manchester United lose influential pair Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire respectively. Mbeumo is the club's top league scorer with six goals, and his creativity from open play is surpassed only by Diallo and Bruno Fernandes. Everton will also feel the impact of losing two regulars, with the creative threat of Iliman Ndiaye and the experience of Idrissa Gueye both heading to represent Senegal.
West Ham face a unique issue, losing both first-choice full-backs. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal) are responsible for nearly 40% of the Hammers' crosses from open play. Diouf also leads the team in assists this season.
Influential Solo Departures and Fortunate Clubs
While some clubs lose groups of players, others face the departure of a single but pivotal figure. Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah, arguably the tournament's biggest name. Despite a recent reduced role, Salah has been involved in seven league goals this term and holds the joint-most shot involvements among all Afcon-bound Premier League players.
Crystal Palace lose Ismaïla Sarr, their second-top scorer, to Senegal, while Brighton will miss the defensive industry of ever-present midfielder Carlos Baleba for Cameroon.
In contrast, six Premier League clubs will not lose a single player to the tournament. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leeds, and Newcastle will have fully stocked squads throughout January. Bournemouth are particularly fortunate, as Ghana's failure to qualify means their influential forward Antoine Semenyo, involved in 10 league goals this season, remains available.
The tournament's conclusion on 18th January will see players gradually return, but the coming weeks will test the squad depth and management of those teams most affected by the African football showpiece.
