Premier League players taking part in AFCON 2025 departed to join up with their national teams this week ahead of the tournament opener on Sunday, when hosts Morocco face Comoros.
The players called up could be absent for over a month, with the final of the tournament scheduled for January 18. So which Premier League clubs will be the most and least impacted?
Between the Lines drills into the numbers and looks at the challenge facing some clubs to adapt, including Manchester United.
Which clubs have the most players at AFCON?
A total of 32 Premier League players are taking part in the tournament, representing 14 of the 24 competing nations.
As shown in the graphic below, Sunderland are losing the most players with six. Their total is double that of any other Premier League club and the highest by any club across Europe’s major leagues.
It includes two players who have played important roles defensively in holding midfielder Noah Sadiki and left-back Reinildo.
The pair have helped the Black Cats keep five clean sheets so far this season in the Premier League, the latest coming in Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby, during which they played the full 90 minutes.
Manchester United are losing three players in Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui, as are Fulham, in Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwuemeze, and Burnley, in Lyle Foster, Hannibal Mejbri and Axel Tuanzebe.
Seven clubs are losing two players, including Manchester City, in Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, with a further three clubs losing one player, including Liverpool in Mohamed Salah, who has departed having impressed off the bench against Brighton.
Six clubs, including Arsenal, do not have any players at AFCON
Leaders Arsenal are one of six Premier League clubs not losing any players to the tournament.
Which clubs are losing the most important players?
Losing players is one thing, losing important players is another.
In terms of minutes played by players taking part in AFCON, Sunderland again come out as the worst-hit.
Their six players called up to the tournament have played a combined 4,412 minutes in the Premier League this season. Sadiki and Reinildo account for around half that total, but Chemsdine Talbi and Bertrand Traore have also featured regularly.
Sunderland’s players taking part in AFCON have played 4,412 Premier League minutes this season
Fulham are next on the list in second, narrowly ahead of Manchester United in third, as both teams lose players with just over 3,000 Premier League minutes played.
For the Cottagers, the biggest losses, in terms of minutes played, are Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, both of whom represent Nigeria. For United, it’s Cameroon’s Mbeumo and Ivory Coast’s Amad.
Everton and West Ham are next in the rankings, with Ndiaye, Idrissa Gueye, Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all regular starters who have played more than 1,000 Premier League minutes this season.
Which clubs are losing the most attacking threat?
While Sunderland will have to cope without crucial defensive players, other clubs will have to manage without vital attackers.
Manchester United and Fulham are losing 11 goal involvements respectively with the departures of Mbeumo, Amad, Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze.
Both Man Utd and Fulham’s players at AFCON have 11 goal involvements
Everton are next, losing eight, with six of them having come from Ndiaye, while Salah’s involvement means Liverpool are losing seven, with the Egypt international having added his latest goal involvement with his assist off the bench in his last appearance before the tournament against Brighton.
Which clubs have the toughest fixtures during AFCON?
When ranking each club’s next six Premier League fixtures, from now until the end of AFCON on January 18, based on league positions of their opponents, Aston Villa, who are not losing any players to the tournament, have the toughest schedule. Liverpool, without only Salah, have the easiest schedule.
Is Amorim’s system switch due to AFCON?
The clubs most impacted by AFCON have of course had time to prepare knowing which of their players would likely feature at the tournament well in advance.
In Manchester United’s case, did Monday’s meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford hint at Amorim’s plans?
He is losing two players key to his preferred system in Amad and Mbeumo, who occupy the right wing-back and right-sided No 10 spots respectively in his 3-4-2-1 formation.
Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo play as right wing-back and right-sided No 10 respectively in Ruben Amorim’s favoured 3-4-2-1 system
But the 4-4 draw with Andoni Iraola’s side, during which Amad and Mbeumo made their final appearances before the tournament, saw an unprecedented change of shape from the head coach.
Ruben Amorim switched to a back four against Bournemouth
For the first time at United, Amorim switched from a back three to a back four, a significant tactical adjustment which may be a response to losing Amad and Mbeumo for a busy run of fixtures.
How Amorim adapts is just one of many questions as Premier League clubs contend with their AFCON absentees.
Can Sunderland maintain their brilliant start?
Will Salah’s prolonged absence help or hinder Liverpool?
And could Arsenal capitalise on having no players involved?
This weekend’s Premier League fixtures will give us our first clues.
Read the last Between the Lines
We explain why Bruno Fernandes is this season’s biggest Premier League game-changer – and why nobody can match Mohamed Salah over the last 15 years.
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