Leicester and Everton among the big losers for AFCON 2017
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Last weekend saw qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations come to end and it now means we can take a good guess at which Premier League sides are likely to lose players midway through the campaign. And it doesn’t look good for the reigning champions, or Everton.
The 31st edition of the tournament will run from January 14 to February 5, with players potentially away from domestic duty for up to a month.
It’s certainly bad news for the Foxes, who will likely lose star man Riyad Mahrez and record signing Islam Slimani to Algeria duty.
Claudio Ranieri could be without Daniel Amartey and Jeffrey Schlupp too, with the duo regulars for Ghana.
The good news for the reigning champions is that Nigeria cannot quality, which means Ahmed Musa will be staying put.
Everton fans may have expressed joy at the summer window signings of Yannick Bolasie and Idrissa Gueye, but the Toffees may be a little shortchanged this season if they turn out for DR Congo and Senegal respectively.
Furthermore, Oumar Niasse could appear for Senegal too, while Arouna Kone may be called up by the Ivory Coast.
Sunderland will also be feeling a little uncomfortable should they be placed near the drop zone as 2017 wiggles its way into our lives.
The Black Cats could lose ace defender Lamine Kone and Wahbi Khazri, while David Moyes could also be without Papy Djilobodji.
Oh, and record signing Didier Ndong is a likely contender for the Gabon squad. Yikes.
Stoke will almost certainly rue the loss of Ivory Coast star Wilfried Bony, while Mame Biram Diouf and Ramadan Sobhi are also likely absentees through the early months of the year.
West Ham could also be minus up to four key men, including Andre Ayew (injury permitting) Sofiane Feghouli and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Most of the remaining Premier League clubs could be lacking a handful of established stars, but it seems like good news for Chelsea, Burnley and Middlesbrough who are set to keep their whole squads in top order throughout January and February.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
