When January becomes a squad depth test
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco this Sunday, and Premier League clubs are bracing for the impact of losing key players during a critical stretch of the season. Sunderland face the biggest disruption with six players called up, while Manchester United, Fulham, and Burnley each lose three. At the other end, Arsenal benefit from having zero AFCON call-ups, a significant advantage in their title race. The tournament exposes which clubs have genuine depth and which have built their success around a few indispensable African players who are now unavailable for weeks.
This isn't just about missing matches—it's about whether clubs can maintain form, avoid relegation battles, or sustain title challenges when their most important contributors disappear mid-season. For promoted Sunderland, losing six players after spending heavily in the summer could unravel their impressive start. For Manchester United chasing a top-four finish, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad's absences create massive offensive problems. And for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah's departure means Arne Slot finally has to prove his system works without the Egyptian constantly bailing them out.
Sunderland's AFCON exodus threatens survival
Sunderland have been this season's surprise package after promotion from the Championship, spending aggressively and climbing comfortably clear of the relegation zone. But six AFCON call-ups could destroy that momentum entirely. Noah Sadiki, their "Mini Kante" midfielder who's played almost every game, joins DR Congo alongside teammate Arthur Masuaku. Reinildo Mandava, who's featured in three-quarters of their Premier League matches, leaves for Mozambique. Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), and Habib Diarra (Senegal) complete the departures, though Diarra hasn't played since September due to groin surgery.
Losing Sadiki and Mandava simultaneously is catastrophic. Sadiki covers ground defensively and links midfield to attack, while Mandava provides defensive stability that Sunderland's budget signings struggle to replicate. Traore just scored his first goal but won't get another chance until AFCON ends. The club's summer spending targeted African talent, which made sense financially, but nobody accounted for losing half the new signings at once. If Sunderland slip back toward the relegation zone during AFCON, their entire season could collapse before their best players return.
Manchester United's attacking crisis deepens
Manchester United lose three players, and two of them are irreplaceable in attack. Bryan Mbeumo, their top scorer with eight goals and one assist, heads to Cameroon. Amad, contributing one goal and two assists while being one of their most creative players, joins Ivory Coast. Noussair Mazraoui, who finally locked down the right side of Ruben Amorim's back three, represents hosts Morocco. Losing Mbeumo and Amad during a push for top four is a disaster Amorim can't afford.
United's attacking depth is already questionable, and now their two most productive forwards disappear for weeks. Who replaces Mbeumo's goals? Who provides Amad's creativity? The alternatives are either unproven or have already failed to deliver consistently this season. Amorim's system depends on quick transitions and clinical finishing, both of which Mbeumo provides. Without him, United become easier to defend because their goal-scoring threat drops dramatically. If they fall out of top-four contention during AFCON, Mbeumo and Amad's absences will be the primary reason.
Fulham lose their entire attack
Fulham's AFCON departures gut their offense entirely. Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze have contributed more than a third of Fulham's Premier League goals and six assists between them. Calvin Bassey, who's played every single league game, anchors their defense. All three join Nigeria, leaving massive holes across the pitch. Replacing Iwobi and Chukwueze's combined output is nearly impossible unless Fulham have been hiding attacking talent on the bench all season.
Bassey's absence is equally problematic because he's been ever-present in defense, providing consistency that's hard to replicate with backups who haven't played regularly. Fulham aren't fighting relegation, but they're not safe either. Losing three key contributors simultaneously could drop them into mid-table obscurity or, worse, drag them toward the bottom three if results go poorly. Their AFCON window will define whether this is a comfortable mid-table season or a relegation scare that nobody saw coming.
Arsenal's title hopes get a massive boost
Five Premier League clubs have zero AFCON call-ups: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leeds, and Newcastle. Arsenal benefit most because they're in a genuine title race and won't lose any key players during a critical period. Manchester City lose Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, though neither has been crucial this season. Liverpool lose Mohamed Salah, which is significant despite Arne Slot's claims otherwise. But Arsenal? They're unaffected, maintaining full squad availability while rivals scramble to cover absences.
This is the kind of competitive advantage that decides titles. Arsenal don't have to adjust tactics, rotate unfamiliar lineups, or hope backups maintain form. They continue with their strongest XI available every match while Manchester United, Liverpool, and others deal with disruptions. If Arsenal win the league, AFCON's timing will be a factor people underestimate. Avoiding player losses during January isn't luck—it's squad construction that prioritizes consistency over gambling on talented African players whose international commitments create predictable absences.
The relegation battle gets more unpredictable
Burnley, West Ham, and Wolves are fighting relegation and all lose important players. Burnley miss Axel Tuanzebe, their regular center-back, along with Lyle Foster and Hannibal Mejbri. West Ham lose first-choice full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal), which creates defensive chaos for a team already struggling. Wolves only lose two players, but Emmanuel Agbadou's absence weakens their defense significantly. Zimbabwe winger Tawanda Chirewa goes too, though he's barely played.
These clubs can't afford to drop points during AFCON because every match matters in relegation battles. Burnley without Tuanzebe become easier to attack. West Ham without their starting full-backs lose defensive structure and attacking width. Wolves at least avoid losing five players, but Agbadou's departure still hurts. The teams that survive AFCON with minimal damage—either through avoiding call-ups or having genuine depth—will separate themselves from those who collapse under the pressure of missing key contributors for weeks.
Liverpool's Salah dependency finally gets tested
Mohamed Salah joins Egypt, and Arne Slot insists "there's no issue to resolve" despite Salah coming off the bench in four consecutive matches before assisting against Brighton as a substitute again. Slot's public confidence doesn't match reality—Liverpool are heavily dependent on Salah's production, and his absence forces the team to prove they can win without him. If they struggle during AFCON, it confirms what everyone already knows: Liverpool's success is built around one player who's now 33 years old and might leave this summer.
Slot saying "we have to play without him" is stating the obvious, but it doesn't address how Liverpool replace his goals, assists, and ability to create something from nothing when games are tight. The Egyptian's uncertain future adds another layer—he's publicly questioned where he'll be beyond AFCON, which suggests contract negotiations aren't going well. If Liverpool drop points during his absence and he leaves in the summer, Slot's first season becomes defined by failing to build a system that works without total reliance on an aging superstar whose best years are behind him.
Why AFCON timing always causes chaos
AFCON happens in January because summer in Africa is too hot for football, which means Premier League clubs lose players during their busiest period. Fixture congestion is already brutal, and now teams have to navigate it without key contributors. Some clubs planned for this—Arsenal avoided African signings whose international commitments would disrupt their title challenge. Others gambled on talent and are now paying the price—Sunderland's six departures could cost them survival, Manchester United's attacking losses threaten top four, and relegation battlers are scrambling to adjust.
The tournament exposes squad planning failures. If your team collapses without two or three players, you didn't build proper depth. If you signed multiple African stars without considering AFCON's impact, you prioritized short-term talent over long-term stability. And if you're Arsenal, sitting comfortably with zero call-ups while rivals struggle, you planned correctly and are now reaping the rewards of thoughtful squad construction that accounts for predictable international absences.
