The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, and 32 Premier League players have departed their clubs for international duty in what promises to be a significant test of squad depth across the English top flight.
Tournament dates and player release
FIFA's mandatory release date fell on Monday, December 15, with the tournament running from December 21 to January 18. Players whose nations reach the final could miss up to seven Premier League matches, plus cup competitions, during the peak festive period.
The group stage concludes between December 29-31, meaning early eliminations could see some players return by early January. However, with 16 of 24 teams progressing to the knockout rounds, most departures will extend well into the new year.
Club-by-club breakdown
Sunderland (6 players) face the heaviest losses, with their African contingent – including Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo (Mozambique) and Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso) – all departing during a crucial period for Régis Le Bris's side.
Manchester United (3 players): Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) leave Ruben Amorim significantly short. Mbeumo is the club's top scorer with six league goals.
Fulham (3 players): Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze all represent Nigeria. Iwobi leads the Cottagers' chance creation this season with 23 opportunities created.
Everton (2 players): Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye depart for Senegal. Ndiaye's six goal involvements lead the team this season.
Liverpool (1 player): Mohamed Salah represents Egypt. The impact of losing the league's most influential attacker during a title race cannot be overstated.
Manchester City (2 players): Omar Marmoush (Egypt) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria) both depart.
Clubs unaffected
Six clubs have no players departing for AFCON: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leeds United and Newcastle. Bournemouth benefit particularly from Ghana's failure to qualify, keeping Antoine Semenyo – their most influential attacker – available throughout.
Return dates
Group stage exits could see players back by Gameweek 20. Those reaching the knockout rounds will miss four to five gameweeks, while finalists could be absent until late January. Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal are favourites to reach the semi-finals, meaning their Premier League representatives face the longest absences.
