Man Utd to make do without their whole right side while Liverpool and Sunderland lose key men: Premier League clubs who will be most impacted by losing players to AFCON – ranked

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will cause notable disruption for several Premier League clubs, especially those depending heavily on African players. Here are the clubs most impacted:

1. Manchester United – Major impact on the right side

Man United will be severely affected because their entire right flank could be missing.
Key players expected to be unavailable include:

• André Onana – First-choice goalkeeper
• Sofyan Amrabat – Midfield cover and rotation option
• Hannibal Mejbri – Emerging midfield talent

This means structural issues for United, especially in buildup play and midfield depth.

2. Liverpool – Loss of attacking firepower

Liverpool will lose some of their most influential players:

• Mohamed Salah – Their most consistent goal scorer
• Wataru Endō (not African but often included in squad-impact lists due to international duty timing overlap)
• Other squad players who offer depth

Salah’s absence alone creates a massive gap in creativity, goals, and pressing intensity.

3. Brighton & Hove Albion – Midfield and defense weakened

Brighton could be missing:

• Simon Adingra – Key winger
• Carlos Baleba – Energetic midfield option
• Tariq Lamptey – Important attacking full-back

This significantly weakens Brighton’s transitions and wide play.

4. West Ham United – Antonio and others

Players likely absent:

• Mohammed Kudus – One of West Ham’s top performers this season
• Maxwel Cornet – Depth option
• Michail Antonio (Jamaican but sometimes listed in squads missing players due to overlapping fixtures)

Kudus’ absence is the biggest blow because of his creativity and goal contributions.

5. Nottingham Forest – One of the most affected squads

Forest traditionally have many African players. Absentees could include:

• Serge Aurier
• Moussa Niakhaté
• Ibrahim Sangaré
• Willy Boly

This impacts defense, midfield solidity, and leadership.

6. Crystal Palace – Key attacking players out

Palace heavily rely on:

• Jordan Ayew
• Jeffrey Schlupp
• Joachim Andersen (not African but sometimes missing due to international window)

Ayew’s absence removes a reliable pressing and work-rate engine in attack.

7. Luton Town – Striker problem

• Elijah Adebayo (not African but could be affected by international scheduling)
• Pelly Mpanzu

Luton’s small squad makes any AFCON-related absence feel bigger.

Summary: Who suffers most?

Most Impacted

1. Manchester United – Right side + goalkeeper disrupted
2. Liverpool – Salah’s absence alone is huge
3. Nottingham Forest – Multiple starters gone
4. West Ham – Kudus missing is significant

These teams will struggle the most due to AFCON player losses.