Which Premier League clubs will be hit hardest by AFCON?

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, right in the middle of the Premier League’s busiest period. That means several clubs will lose important African players for up to a month.

Biggest Names Set to Miss Premier League Games

Many Premier League stars are expected to be called up by their national teams. Some of the most notable include:

• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool / Egypt)
• Yves Bissouma (Tottenham / Mali)
• Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham / Senegal)
• Amad Diallo & Bryan Mbeumo(Man United / Ivory Coast & Cameroun)
• Noussair Mazraoui (Man United / Morocco)
• Omar Marmoush (Man City / Egypt)
• Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi & Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham / Nigeria) and many others spread across the league.

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Premier League Clubs Likely To Lose the Most Players

Some teams will be hit much harder than others:

1. Sunderland is the worst affected club and could lose seven or more players, including first-team regulars like Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi. No other Premier League club is expected to lose this many.

2. Wolves may be without five squad members, with several likely to be called up by different African nations.

3. Palace are expected to lose four players, including Ismaila Sarr and Cheick Doucouré.

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Other clubs moderately affected:

• Fulham – three players
• Burnley – three players
• Man United – three players
• Man City, Everton, Brentford – one or two players each

Clubs barely affected or not at all:

• Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds – currently expected to lose no players
• Liverpool – only Salah
• Aston Villa – one player

What This Means for the Season

AFCON could seriously test the depth of squads, especially at Sunderland, Wolves, and Palace. These clubs may need to rotate more, rely on backup players, or even dip into the transfer market.

For others, the impact will be small and some title-challenging teams won’t be affected at all.

In Short, AFCON 2025 lands during a key part of the Premier League season when some big names will miss vitally important games. Sunderland will be hit the hardest, followed by Wolves and Crystal Palace.

Time will tell how much impact AFCON would have on Premier League results and standings over the busy festive period.