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Up to 43 Premier League players could miss part of this season to play at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and new Manchester United signing Bryan Mbuemo are among the biggest Premier League names set to feature at the competition.
Afcon, held biennially, has historically posed selection challenges for clubs during winter fixtures, with star players temporarily unavailable.
The next edition of the tournament, taking place in Morocco, lasts for four weeks from Sunday, 21 December 2025 to Sunday, 18 January 2026.
Fifty players from African countries currently play in the Premier League but, with Ghana, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau all failing to qualify, Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo are among four players who will not feature at the competition.
Three African Premier League players have already been left out of their respective nations' squads - Yoane Wissa, Blondy Nna Noukeu and Jackson Tchatchoua.
Six rounds of Premier League fixtures are due to take place between those dates, as well as the third round of the FA Cup and the semi-final first legs of the EFL Cup, meaning that there is a total of eight matches some players may miss.
As well as Salah and Mbuemo, several other important players could be called up by their countries for this year's Afcon.
Alongside Salah, Egypt have also named Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush in their provisional squad.
The Democratic Republic of Congo have left Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa out of their squad, with Wissa not featuring so far for the Magpies this season because of injury.
Everton midfielders Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are both Senegal internationals, as is new West Ham left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Tottenham midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr could play for Mali and Senegal, respectively.
Sunderland could have as many as eight of their players at Afcon.
Wolves are another team who might see several squad members head to the tournament, with four players who may get selected.
Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, who will also have European football to also negotiate this season, each have four players who may feature at Afcon.
Brighton are the only club to have multiple African players that cannot feature at Afcon due to the players' nations not qualifying.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds currently do not have an African player in their squads.
Sunderland's summer signing Simon Adingra was named best young player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (played in 2024)
Of the 24 nations at Afcon, 15 have at least one player from their country at a Premier League club.
Nigeria is currently the most popular African nation in the Premier League, with nine players in English top-flight clubs.
Ivory Coast and Senegal are the next most popular with six players each currently at Premier League clubs.
There are five Premier League players from DR Congo and three from Cameroon.
Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa and Mozambique all have one each.
Currently, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa have confirmed their squads ahead of Afcon.
It means that six Premier League players have so far been confirmed to feature at the tournament.
Brighton: Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Burnley: Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Lyle Foster (South Africa),
Sunderland: Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
West Ham: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)
Arsenal: No African players in current first-team squad
Chelsea: No African players in current first-team squad
Leeds: No African players in current first-team squad
Newcastle: Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
Sunderland: Blondy Nna Noukeu (Cameroon)
Wolves: Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon)
African players whose countries have not qualified for Afcon: Antoine Semenyo (Ghana and Bournemouth), Yankuba Minteh (Gambia and Brighton), Beto (Guinea-Bissau and Everton), Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and Tottenham)
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