Which Premier League team is missing most players? Squads affected worst by AFCON and Asian Cup in 2024

Brad Cox

Which Premier League team is missing most players? Squads affected worst by AFCON and Asian Cup in 2024 image

The Africa Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup tournaments are set to get under way this month and some Premier League sides will be without key players for a minimum of two weeks. 

If their players are to reach the final of the tournaments, they could be away for over a month. Fortunately, there is a mini winter break in the English top flight this season, meaning some players may only miss one match. 

AFCON spans from January 13 until February 11, while the Asian Cup commences and concludes a day prior.

The Sporting News takes a look at which players will be missing from the Premier League for the next few weeks. 

MORE: What is the winter break in the Premier League?

Full list of Premier League players called up for AFCON and Asia Cup

Of the 20 teams that compete in the Premier League, at least 17 will be affected by these two January international tournaments. 

Manchester United will be without their starting goalkeeper, Andre Onana, however, he will be allowed to participate in their home game against Tottenham Hotspur on January 14 before heading to the tournament the following day. Sofyan Amrabat will join up with the Moroccan squad ahead of their AFCON opener against Tanzania. 

Manchester City will have no players at either tournament, a huge boost to their title hopes. Liverpool on the other hand will lose Mohamed Salah, their top goalscorer and key man.

Below is the full list of players that each team will be without:

Team Players Tournament
Arsenal

Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)

Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan)

AFCON & Asia Cup
Aston Villa Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) AFCON
Bournemouth

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso)

Antoine Semenyo (Ghana)

AFCON
Brentford

Saman Ghoddos (Iran)

Kim Ji-soo (South Korea)

Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)

Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)

AFCON & Asia Cup
Brighton

Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)

Kaoru Mitoma (Japan)

AFCON & Asia Cup
Burnley
Chelsea Nicolas Jackson (Senegal) AFCON
Crystal Palace Jordan Ayew (Ghana) AFCON
Everton Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)  AFCON
Fulham

Fode Ballo-Toure (Senegal)

Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)

Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)

AFCON
Liverpool

Wataru Endo (Japan)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

AFCON & Asia Cup
Luton Town Issa Kabore (Burkina Faso) AFCON
Man United

Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)

Andre Onana (Cameroon)

AFCON
Man City
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest

Ola Aina (Nigeria)

Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)

Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)

Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal)

Moussa Niakhate (Senegal)

Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast)

AFCON
Sheffield United

Yasser Larouci (Algeria)

Anis Ben Slimane (Tunisia)

AFCON
Tottenham Hotspur

Yves Bissouma (Mali)

Son Heung-min (South Korea)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)

AFCON & Asia Cup
West Ham

Nayef Aguerd (Morocco)

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)

AFCON
Wolves

Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea)

Justin Hubner (Indonesia)

Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)

Boubacar Traore (Mali)

AFCON & Asia Cup

Brad Cox

Brad Cox Photo

Brad is a content producer for The Sporting News and has previously worked for the likes of Squawka and The Athletic. His career highlight to date is reporting from the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final in Paris.