The Premier League season has reached its halfway point, with all 20 teams completing 20 match weeks. The league table appears highly competitive, with the second half of the season yet to unfold. However, clubs are expected to face significant challenges due to the upcoming two international tournaments.
The commencement of Africa and Asia’s premier international tournaments, AFCON and Asian Cup 2024, respectively, will affect EPL clubs, as their key players are set to feature in these tournaments. Both competitions are scheduled to last over a month, from January to the second week of February.
Which Premier League clubs will have most absentees due to international tournaments?
The Premier League clubs will witness the departure of their African and Asian international players, as more than 40 players have received national team call-ups from their respective countries to report for national team duty. Therefore, it is likely that these players will miss a handful of club fixtures.
Nottingham Forest will be the most affected side, with six key players set to fly to Cote d’Ivoire for the AFCON. The names include Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast), along with Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate (Senegal), and Ola Aina (Nigeria).
On the other hand, Brentford faces four absentees: Yoane Wissa (Congo), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria), and two Asian players, Kim Ji-soo (South Korea) and Saman Ghoddos (Iran), set to join their respective national teams for the Qatar Asian Cup.
Similarly, the Wolves will have a similar scenario with Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria), Boubacar Traore (Mali), and the Asian duo of Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea) and Justin Hubner (Indonesia). Manchester United, Fulham, and Tottenham will each miss three players due to international selections. For United, Andre Onana (Cameroon), Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco), and Amad (Ivory Coast) will be absent.
In Fulham’s camp, the names include Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), and Fode Ballo-Toure (Senegal). Spurs will be without three pivotal players: Yves Bissouma (Mali), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal), and their captain, Son Heung-min (South Korea).
Two players from the Liverpool, Arsenal, and West Ham squads have received call-ups. For the Reds, Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Wataru Endo (Japan) will be absent. From both London sides, the names of absentees include Mohamed Elneny (Egypt), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan), Mohammed Kudus (Ghana), and Nayef Aguerd (Morocco).
Manchester City to have upper hand in title race during AFCON, Asian Cup
Manchester City is the third team in the Premier League, alongside Newcastle United and bottom-table Burnley, to not have any repercussions of the AFCON and Asian Cup on their squad. Consequently, they enjoy a clear edge over other clubs that will miss their main players to climb back to the top of the points table.
The treble-winner has been dropping points lately and currently stands in the third position, five points behind table-topping Liverpool. Nonetheless, Pep Guardiola will be aiming to bounce back with the potential return of their two key players, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
Will you be watching the AFCON and the Asian Cup? Which team will you be supporting? Tell us in the comments.
