AFCON shakes the Premier League: Black Cats suffer the heaviest blow

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, and once again one of football's most electrifying tournaments is set to leave a deep mark on the Premier League season. A total of 32 players from English clubs have already departed to join their national teams, with absences that could stretch beyond a month, right up to the final on January 18.

Although AFCON is staged outside the FIFA calendar, its timing could hardly be worse for English clubs, arriving as the league balances festive congestion with decisive battles across the table.

No club has been hit harder than Sunderland. The Black Cats lose six players, more than any other Premier League side - and more than any club across Europe's top five leagues. The departures of Noah Sadiki and Reinildo Mandava are particularly painful: both have been cornerstones of the team's structure, combining for thousands of minutes this season. In total, Sunderland's AFCON contingent accounts for over 4,400 league minutes, a staggering blow.

Fulham and Manchester United follow, each losing three players. Fulham will be without key starters Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, while Marco Silva must also cope without the impact of Samuel Chukwueze. United, meanwhile, lose attacking spark through Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, along with defensive option Noussair Mazraoui.

Morocco takes a hard stance on their AFCON players

The ripple effect continues at Everton and West Ham. Everton lose Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, while West Ham wave goodbye to Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf - all players who have logged more than 1,000 minutes this season, disappearing just as their clubs search for stability.

One name towers above all others: Mohamed Salah. Liverpool only sends one player to AFCON, but it is their talisman. On paper, the Reds lose their most lethal weapon. Optimists, however, believe Salah could return refreshed and even more dangerous.

At the other end of the spectrum, Arsenal* emerge as rare beneficiaries. The Gunners have no players involved in AFCON, a potential edge in the title race. Manchester City, meanwhile, will be without Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria) and Omar Marmoush (Egypt).

Once again, AFCON threatens to reshape the Premier League landscape. Some clubs will be forced into emergency solutions, others handed a sudden advantage. In January, success in England won't depend only on form or quality - but on who stayed, and who had to go to Africa.

EPL teams and their missing players

Sunderland

Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)

Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique)

Shemsdin Talbi (Morocco)

Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)

Habib Diarra (Senegal)

Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo)

Manchester United

Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)

Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)

Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)

Burnley

Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo)

Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)

Lyle Foster (South Africa)

Fulham

Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)

Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)

Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)

Brentford

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso)

Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)

Everton

Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)

Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal)

Manchester City

Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)

Omar Marmoush (Egypt)

Nottingham Forest

Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast)

Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)

Tottenham Hotspur

Yves Bissouma (Mali)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)

West Ham United

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)

El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal)

Wolverhampton

Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast)

Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)

Brighton & Hove Albion

Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)

Crystal Palace

Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

*Arsenal and Aston Villa are the only Premier League sides without any players missing due to the AFCON 2025