Matches Premier League players will miss due to Africa Cup of Nations

Fixtures for the 2025/26 Premier League season has been released and one eye will have been cast over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which will overlap with England's top-flight from December into January.

The next edition of AFCON is scheduled to get underway on the 21st December 2025, with the group stage concluding on New Year's Eve before the final takes place on 18th January 2026 in Rabat, Morocco.

It's a period in the Premier League calendar which is typically congested and the upcoming campaign is no exception with teams playing at least five matches across an 18-day period.

For clubs that are competing in Europe, UEFA have ensured that competitors are not weakened by the absence of players on international duty by ensuring their schedule for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League does not coincide with AFCON.

With several Premier League stars all set to feature in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations including Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo and Omar Marmoush, we've taken a look at the fixtures they're set to miss and the matches they could possibly be absent for should their nation progress into the latter stages of the tournament.

Liverpool fixtures Mohamed Salah will miss

• Tottenham (A) - 20th December
• Wolves (H) - 27th December
• Leeds (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if Egypt reach the AFCON final:

• Fulham (A) - 3rd January
• Arsenal (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Burnley (H) - 17th January

Manchester City fixtures Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri will miss

• West Ham (H) - 20th December
• Nottingham Forest (A) - 27th December
• Sunderland (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Chelsea (H) - 3rd January
• Brighton (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Manchester United (A) - 17th January

Bournemouth fixtures Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo will miss

• Burnley (H) - 20th December
• Brentford (A) - 27th December
• Chelsea (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Arsenal (H) - 3rd January
• Tottenham (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Brighton (A) - 17th January

Brighton fixtures Carlos Baleba, Tariq Lamptey and Simon Adingra will miss

• Sunderland (H) - 20th December
• Arsenal (A) - 27th December
• West Ham (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Burnley (H) - 3rd January
• Manchester City (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Bournemouth (H) - 17th January

Brentford fixtures Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will miss

• Wolves (A) - 20th December
• Bournemouth (H) - 27th December
• Tottenham (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Everton (A) - 3rd January
• Sunderland (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Chelsea (A) - 17th January

Burnley fixtures Hannibal Mejbri and Lyle Foster will miss

• Bournemouth (A) - 20th December
• Everton (H) - 27th December
• Newcastle (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Brighton (A) - 3rd January
• Manchester United (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Liverpool (A) - 17th January

Chelsea fixtures Nicolas Jackson will miss

• Newcastle (A) - 20th December
• Aston Villa (H) - 27th December
• Bournemouth (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if Senegal reach the AFCON final:

• Manchester City (A) - 3rd January
• Fulham (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Brentford (H) - 17th January

Crystal Palace fixtures Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad and Ismaila Sarr will miss

• Leeds (A) - 20th December
• Tottenham (H) - 27th December
• Fulham (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Newcastle (A) - 3rd January
• Aston Villa (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Sunderland (A) - 17th January

Everton fixtures Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye will miss

• Arsenal (H) - 20th December
• Burnley (A) - 27th December
• Nottingham Forest (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if Senegal reach the AFCON final:

• Brentford (H) - 3rd January
• Wolves (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Aston Villa (A) - 17th January

Fulham fixtures Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will miss

• Nottingham Forest (H) - 20th December
• West Ham (A) - 27th December
• Crystal Palace (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if Nigeria reach the AFCON final:

• Liverpool (H) - 3rd January
• Chelsea (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Leeds (A) - 17th January

Manchester United fixtures Andre Onana, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo will miss

• Aston Villa (A) - 20th December
• Newcastle (H) - 27th December
• Wolves (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Leeds (A) - 3rd January
• Burnley (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Manchester City (H) - 17th January

Nottingham Forest fixtures Ola Aina, Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare and Taiwo Awoniyi will miss

• Fulham (A) - 20th December
• Manchester City (H) - 27th December
• Everton (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Aston Villa (A) - 3rd January
• West Ham (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Arsenal (H) - 17th January

Tottenham fixtures Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will miss

• Liverpool (H) - 20th December
• Crystal Palace (A) - 27th December
• Brentford (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• Sunderland (H) - 3rd January
• Bournemouth (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• West Ham (H) - 17th January

West Ham fixtures Mohammed Kudus will miss

• Manchester City (A) - 20th December
• Fulham (H) - 27th December
• Brighton (H) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if Ghana reach the AFCON final:

• Wolves (A) - 3rd January
• Nottingham Forest (H) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Tottenham (A) - 17th January

Wolves fixtures Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi will miss

• Brentford (H) - 20th December
• Liverpool (A) - 27th December
• Manchester United (A) - 30th December

Possible missed fixtures if their respective nations reach the AFCON final:

• West Ham (H) - 3rd January
• Everton (A) - 7th January
• FA Cup third round - 10th January
• Newcastle (H) - 17th January