The Premier League games that AFCON stars could MISS

In partnership with

Hayters TV

·19 June 2025

The Premier League games that AFCON stars could MISS

The Africa Cup of Nations returns this season over the winter period, and it could have a huge impact on some Premier League teams.

The next edition of the tournament takes place between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, and some Premier League players could miss up to six matches depending on how well their respective countries perform.

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Liverpool will be hit by the absence of Premier League and FWA Player of the Season Mohamed Salah, while Manchester United will be one of the most affected clubs, with key players across the spine of Ruben Amorim’s team set to depart for the finals in Morocco.

Six teams will have no players missing from their squad during the tournament, however.

Below, Hayters TV looks at who from each Premier League side will be missing for over the festive period…

Bournemouth

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso).

Games they could miss:

Bournemouth vs Burnley – 20 December
Brentford vs Bournemouth – 27 December
Chelsea vs Bournemouth – 30 December
Bournemouth vs Arsenal – 3 January
Bournemouth vs Tottenham – 7 January
Brighton vs Bournemouth – 17 January

Brentford

Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Yoane Wissa (DR Congo).

Games they could miss:

Wolves vs Brentford – 20 December
Brentford vs Bournemouth – 27 December
Brentford vs Tottenham – 30 December
Everton vs Brentford – 3 January
Brentford vs Sunderland – 7 January
Chelsea vs Brentford – 17 January

Brighton & Hove Albion

Carlos Baleba (Cameroon), Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire).

Games they could miss:

Brighton vs Sunderland – 20 December
Arsenal vs Brighton – 27 December
West Ham vs Brighton – 30 December
Brighton vs Burnley – 3 January
Man City vs Brighton – 7 January
Brighton vs Bournemouth – 17 January

Burnley

Lyle Foster (South African), Manuel Benson (Angola), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).

Games they could miss:

Bournemouth vs Burnley – 20 December
Burnley vs Everton – 27 December
Burnley vs Everton – 30 December
Brighton vs Burnley – 3 January
Burnley vs Man Utd – 7 January
Liverpool vs Burnley – 17 January

Chelsea

Nicolas Jackson (Senegal), David Datro Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire).

Games they could miss:

Newcastle vs Chelsea – 20 December
Chelsea vs Aston Villa – 27 December
Chelsea vs Bournemouth – 30 December
Man City vs Chelsea – 3 January
Fulham vs Chelsea – 7 January
Chelsea vs Brentford – 17 January

Crystal Palace

Chadi Riad (Morocco), Cheick Doucoure (Mali), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal).

Games they could miss:

Leeds vs Crystal Palace – 20 December
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham – 27 December
Crystal Palace vs Fulham – 30 December
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace – 3 January
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – 7 January
Sunderland vs Crystal Palace – 17 January

Everton

Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal).

Games they could miss:

Everton vs Arsenal – 20 December
Burnley vs Everton – 27 December
Nottingham Forest vs Everton – 30 December
Everton vs Brentford – 3 January
Everton vs Wolves – 7 January
Aston Villa vs Everton – 17 January

Fulham

Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Calvin Bassey (Nigeria).

Games they could miss:

Fulham vs Nottingham Forest – 20 December
West Ham vs Fulham – 27 December
Crystal Palace vs Fulham – 30 December
Fulham vs Liverpool – 3 January
Fulham vs Chelsea – 7 January
Leeds vs Fulham – 17 January

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah (Egypt).

Games they could miss:

Tottenham vs Liverpool – 20 December
Liverpool vs Wolves – 27 December
Liverpool vs Leeds – 30 December
Fulham vs Liverpool – 3 January
Arsenal vs Liverpool – 7 January
Liverpool vs Burnley – 17 January

Manchester City

Omar Marmoush (Egypt), Rayan Ait Nouri (Algeria).

Games they could miss:

Man City vs West Ham – 20 December
Nottingham Forest vs Man City – 27 December
Sunderland vs Man City- 30 December
Man City vs Chelsea – 3 January
Man City vs Brighton – 7 January
Man Utd vs Man City – 17 January

Manchester United

Andre Onana (Cameroon), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Amad (Côte d’Ivoire).

Games they could miss:

Aston Villa vs Man Utd – 20 December
Man Utd vs Newcastle – 27 December
Man Utd vs Wolves – 30 December
Leeds vs Man Utd – 3 January
Burnley vs Man Utd – 7 January
Man Utd vs Man City – 17 January

Nottingham Forest

Willy Boly (Côte d’Ivoire), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria), Ibrahim Sangare (Côte d’Ivoire), Ola Aina (Nigeria).

Games they could miss:

Fulham vs Nottingham Forest – 20 December
Nottingham Forest vs Man City – 27 December
Nottingham Forest vs Everton – 30 December
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – 3 January
West Ham vs Nottingham Forest – 7 January
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal – 17 January

Tottenham

Pape Sarr (Senegal), Yves Bissouma (Mali).

Games they could miss:

Tottenham vs Liverpool – 20 December
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham – 27 December
Brentford vs Tottenham – 30 December
Tottenham vs Sunderland – 3 January
Bournemouth vs Tottenham – 7 January
West Ham vs Tottenham – 17 January

Wolves

Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Agbadou (Côte d’Ivoire), Nasser Njiga (Burkina Faso).

Games they could miss:

Wolves vs Brentford – 20 December
Liverpool vs Wolves – 27 December
Man Utd vs Wolves – 30 December
Wolves vs West Ham – 3 January
Everton vs Wolves – 7 January
Wolves vs Newcastle – 17 January

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The Premier League games that AFCON stars could MISS