Some teams will be hit harder than others by players heading to the AFCON.
Premier League players at AFCON 2025: Teams with most stars at Africa Cup of Nations, and when they return originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Africa Cup of Nations begins in December and runs until the middle of January 2026.
The tournament in Morocco was initially scheduled for June and July 2025, but it was moved to the Northern Hemisphere's winter months so as not to clash with the new FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The fact the AFCON is being played in the middle of the Premier League season means that, just as during the last tournament, top-flight will lose some star players who have been called up by their national teams.
Below, The Sporting News looks at which players will be heading off to Morocco, and which teams will be hardest hit in terms of absentees.
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Premier League players at AFCON 2025 As of December 13, there were 31 Premier League players confirmed to be going to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The tables below detail which players were called up by their national teams, and the earliest dates at which they could return to their clubs.
Algeria Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Rayan Ait-Nouri Man City Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) Jan 4: Chelsea (H)
Burkina Faso Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Dango Ouattara Brentford Dec 14: Leeds (H) Jan 4: Everton (A) Bertrand Traore Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A)
Cameroon Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Bryan Mbeumo Man United Dec 8: Wolves (A) - TBC Jan 4: Leeds (A) Carlos Baleba Brighton Dec 13: Liverpool (A) Jan 3: Burnley (H)
DR Congo Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Arthur Masuaku Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A) Noah Sadiki Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A) Axel Tuanzebe Burnley Dec 13: Fulham (H) Jan 3: Brighton (A) Aaron Wan-Bissaka West Ham Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) Jan 3: Wolves (A)
Egypt Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Omar Marmoush Man City Dec 14: Crystal Palace (A) Jan 4: Chelsea (H) Mohamed Salah Liverpool Dec 13: Brighton (H) Jan 4: Fulham (A)
Ivory Coast Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Emmanuel Agbadou Wolves Dec 14: Arsenal (H) Jan 3: West Ham (H) Amad Diallo Man United Dec 8: Wolves (A) - TBC Jan 4: Leeds (A) Willy Boly N. Forest Dec 14: Tottenham (H) Jan 3: Aston Villa (A) Ibrahim Sangare N. Forest Dec 14: Tottenham (H) Jan 3: Aston Villa (A)
Mali Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Yves Bissouma Tottenham Dec 14: N. Forest (A) Jan 4: Sunderland (H)
Morocco Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Noussair Mazraoui Man United Dec 8: Wolves (A) Jan 4: Leeds (A) Chemsdine Talbi Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A)
Mozambique Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Reinildo Mandava Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A)
Nigeria Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Calvin Bassey Fulham Dec 13: Burnley (A) Jan 4: Liverpool (H) Samuel Chukwueze Fulham Dec 13: Burnley (A) Jan 4: Liverpool (H) Alex Iwobi Fulham Dec 13: Burnley (A) Jan 4: Liverpool (H) Frank Onyeka Brentford Dec 14: Leeds (H) Jan 4: Everton (A)
Senegal Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date El Hadji Malick Diouf West Ham Dec 14: Aston Villa (A) Jan 3: Wolves (A) Idrissa Gana Gueye Everton Dec 13: Chelsea (A) Jan 4: Brentford (H) Habib Diarra Sunderland Dec 14: Newcastle (H) Jan 4: Tottenham (A) Pape Matar Sarr Tottenham Dec 14: Nottingham Forest (A) Jan 4: Sunderland (H) Ismaila Sarr Crystal Palace Dec 14: Man City (H) Jan 4: Newcastle (A) Iliman Ndiaye Everton Dec 13: Chelsea (A) Jan 4: Brentford (H)
South Africa Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Lyle Foster Burnley Dec 13: Fulham (H) Jan 3: Brighton (A)
Tunisia Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Hannibal Mejbri Burnley Dec 13: Fulham (H) Jan 3: Brighton (A)
Zimbabwe Player Club Last game Earliest possible return date Tawanda Chirewa Wolves Dec 13: Arsenal (H) Jan 3: West Ham (H)
Teams with most stars at Africa Cup of Nations The team with the most players going to AFCON 2025 are Sunderland , who will lose six members of their squad as things stand.
Sunderland: 6 Burnley, Fulham, Man United: 3 Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, West Ham, Wolves: 2 Aston Villa, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Man City: 1 AFCON 2025 start, finish dates The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins with host nation Morocco facing Comoros on Sunday, December 21 .
The tournament runs through to the final on January 18, 2026 .
MORE: Confirmed round dates for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
