Premier League clubs have been handed a boost for their African Cup of Nations-participating players with Liverpool and Manchester United among the sides set to benefit
Ivory Coast are reigning African Cup of Nations champions.
Ivory Coast are reigning African Cup of Nations champions.
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Everything you need to know about the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and which Premier League teams benefit...
Premier League clubs received a major boost after FIFA granted a crucial one-week delay for releasing AFCON-bound players. This extension means that clubs can retain their African stars until December 15th, seven days later than the initial mandatory release date.
The deadline extension benefits Liverpool by ensuring key forward Mohamed Salah is available for their upcoming Premier League fixture. The Egyptian star can now play in the important December 13th clash against Brighton before departing for the tournament.
Should Egypt progress to the AFCON final, Salah could potentially miss up to seven games across all competitions for Liverpool. It could see the star forward miss vital Premier League matches against Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as an FA Cup tie.
Manchester United will benefit from the extension, keeping their three African players - Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui, and Amad - for an extra week. This means the trio could now be available selection in the important December 15th fixture against Bournemouth.
The three United players will miss a minimum number of key fixtures. They will be in international action during the festive period, including Premier League clashes against Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Manchester City are adopting a firm position by only planning to release forward Omar Marmoush after their league game on December 14th against Crystal Palace. This means the club is effectively withholding him from joining Egypt for their pre-tournament warm-up matches, risking friction with the Egyptian national team.
If Marmoush’s national side reaches the AFCON final in January, the forward’s absence from Manchester City could stretch to up to ten games. This period of disruption will affect the squad across multiple competitions, including the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups.
Sunderland are one of the biggest short-term winners of the new deadline as it allows them to field seven AFCON-bound players for their local derby against Newcastle United. These key stars can now participate in the critical December 14th match against their rivals before they depart for Morocco.