Premier League – Sunderland will have to do without six players over the next few weeks and are the club worst hit as the Africa Cup of Nations takes its toll on European clubs competing over the holiday season.
Sunderland, eighth in the standings, had four of their African internationals in action when they beat Newcastle United on Sunday, but like 14 other English top-flight clubs, will now lose those players to international duty.
The timing of the African championship, kicking off in Morocco on Sunday and running through to January 18, has long been an irritant for coaches, with leagues in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain also affected.
Hosting the tournament in the middle of the season impacts around 58 per cent of the players at the Cup of Nations, though the Confederation of African Football did try to mitigate the impact by moving the start to before Christmas, so it is completed before the next round of Champions League matches.
The impact on European clubs was also lessened by allowing them to release players seven days, rather than the mandatory 14 days, before the tournament, meaning they could play for their clubs last weekend.
Sunderland’s Congolese Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki, plus full-back Reinildo (Mozambique), midfielder Habib Diarra (Mali), and attackers Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco) and Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) have now departed for Morocco.
Ironically, Mohamed Salah’s absence from Liverpool to play for Egypt should lower the temperature at the club after his recent outburst against manager Arne Slot, but Manchester United will lose three players in Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo, and Amad Diallo, who scored in Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth.
France is again the country with the most players heading to the Cup of Nations, with 51 from Ligue 1 clubs. But their absence is much less impactful than previously as Ligue 1 broke after the weekend’s fixtures and does not resume until January 2, by which time the Cup of Nations will be into its knockout stage.
There are 21 players from Serie A clubs, 18 from the Bundesliga, and 15 from LaLiga teams among the 24 squads at the tournament in Morocco.
—Reuters
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