Overview:
The other team besides Manchester United that could be hit with absences include Fulham who have three Nigerian internationals: Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Samuel Chukwueze, Nottingham Forest, missing Ola Aina, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangaré, and Tottenham Hotspur, who will most likely lose Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma
Manchester United could be the most affected side when the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in December.
The 20-English Premier League champions will miss the services of attackers Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and Noussair Mazroui (Morocco).
Besides the trio, Andre Onana, on loan from Manchester United plying his trade in Turkey will also be in the Indomitable Lions squad come December.
Over fifty-one players could be away for over a month representing 15 of the 24 countries that will be competing in the biennial tournament to be held in Morocco which kicks off on December 21 and ends on January 18, 2026.
The other team besides Manchester United that could be hit with absences include Fulham who have three Nigerian internationals: Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Samuel Chukwueze, Nottingham Forest, missing Ola Aina, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangaré, and Tottenham Hotspur, who will most likely lose Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma.
In terms of numbers per nation, Ivory Coast could have the most representation from the Premier League with 10 players from different clubs and Nigeria 6.
Only nine countries will be without a premier league player including Uganda, Benin, Botswana, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Tanzania, Gabon and Zambia.
Stats from the last edition held in Cote d’Ivoire show 49 players from EPL from 13 countries.
A summary of the 51 African players whose countries will be at AFCON 2025.
Angola: Manuel Benson (Burnley) & David Carmo (Nottingham Forest)
Algeria: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City)
Burkina Faso: Dango Ouattara (Bournemouth), Issa Kabore (Manchester City).
Cameroon: Bryan Mbeumo, Andre Onana (Manchester United), Carlos Baleba (Brighton), Blondy Nna Noukeu (Sunderland)
DR Congo: Yoane Wissa (Newcastle), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Westham).
Egypt: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City).
Ivory Coast: Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Simon Andigra (Sunderland), Hamed Junior Traore (Bournemouth), Malick Yalcouye (Brighton), David Datro Fofana (Chelsea), Martial Godo (Fulham), Ibrahim Sangare & Willy Bore (Nottingham Forest), Maxwell Cornet (Westham United) and Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolves).
Mali: Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace), Yves Bissouma (Spurs) and Boubacar Traore (Wolves)
Morocco: Noussair Mazroui (Manchester United), Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)
Mozambique: Reinildo Mandava (Sunderland)
Nigeria: Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Calvin Bassey & Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Emmanuel Dennis (Nottingham Forest) and Ahmed Abdullahi (Sunderland)
Senegal: Abdallah Sima (Brighton), Nicholas Jackson (Chelsea), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Idrissa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Pape Sarr (Spurs), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham).
South Africa: Lyle Foster (Burnley)
Tunisia: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
Zimbabwe: Marshall Munetsi (Wolves)
A summary of EPL fixtures during the AFCON 2025 (Courtesy of premierleague.com)
MW17 Saturday 20 December
- AFC Bournemouth v Burnley
- Aston Villa v Man Utd
- Brighton v Sunderland
- Everton v Arsenal
- Fulham v Nottingham Forest
- Leeds v Crystal Palace
- Man City v West Ham
- Newcastle v Chelsea
- Spurs v Liverpool
- Wolves v Brentford
Sunday 21 December (Start ofAFCON)
MW18 Saturday 27 December
- Arsenal v Brighton
- Brentford v AFC Bournemouth
- Burnley v Everton
- Chelsea v Aston Villa
- Crystal Palace v Spurs
- Liverpool v Wolves
- Man Utd v Newcastle
- Nottingham Forest v Man City
- Sunderland v Leeds
- West Ham v Fulham
MW19 Tuesday 30 December
- Arsenal v Aston Villa
- Brentford v Spurs
- Burnley v Newcastle
- Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth
- Crystal Palace v Fulham
- Liverpool v Leeds
- Man Utd v Wolves
- Nottingham Forest v Everton
- Sunderland v Man City
- West Ham v Brighton
MW20 Saturday 3 January 2026
- AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal
- Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
- Brighton v Burnley
- Everton v Brentford
- Fulham v Liverpool
- Leeds v Man Utd
- Man City v Chelsea
- Newcastle v Crystal Palace
- Spurs v Sunderland
- Wolves v West Ham
MW21 Wednesday 7 January 2026
- AFC Bournemouth v Spurs
- Arsenal v Liverpool
- Brentford v Sunderland
- Burnley v Man Utd
- Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
- Everton v Wolves
- Fulham v Chelsea
- Man City v Brighton
- Newcastle v Leeds
- West Ham v Nottingham Forest
MW22 Saturday 17 January
- Aston Villa v Everton
- Brighton v AFC Bournemouth
- Chelsea v Brentford
- Leeds v Fulham
- Liverpool v Burnley
- Man Utd v Man City
- Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
- Sunderland v Crystal Palace
- Spurs v West Ham
- Wolves v Newcastle
Sunday 18 January (AFCON final)
Wissa(Injured) plays for Newcastle