The 35th edition of Africa’s premier football tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), will be hosted by Morocco, starting on December 21.
Premier League clubs are expected to release players participating in AFCON 2025 after the games this weekend.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is the biggest Premier League star heading to the tournament, where he will lead Egypt’s title aspirations.
Salah, though, has fallen out of favour with manager Arne Slot over the last few weeks, leading the Egyptian attacker to claim that he has been ‘thrown under the bus’ for the team’s poor performance.
Sunderland will be the worst-affected Premier League side by the AFCON departures, with the recently promoted team to miss six players over the next month.
Premier League – Teamwise breakdown of players heading to AFCON 2025
ARSENAL – None
ASTON VILLA – None
BOURNEMOUTH – None
BRENTFORD – Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
BRIGHTON – Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
BURNLEY – Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
CHELSEA – None
CRYSTAL PALACE – Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
EVERTON – Idrissa Gueye (Senegal), Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)
FULHAM – Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)
LEEDS – None
LIVERPOOL – Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
MANCHESTER CITY – Omar Marmoush (Egypt), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)
MANCHESTER UNITED – Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)
NEWCASTLE UNITED – None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST – Willy Boly (Ivory Coast), Ibrahim Sangare (Ivory Coast)
SUNDERLAND – Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), Habib Diarra (Senegal)
TOTTENHAM – Yves Bissouma (Mali), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
WEST HAM – Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo), El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal)
WOLVES – Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast), Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)
Published on Dec 14, 2025
