How much will the Premier league be affected by The Asian Cup and AFCON mid-season?

Winter 2022 saw a World Cup for the first time ever, disrupting the domestic season, and putting it on hold for nearly two months. This January, it is the return of the African Cup of Nations and The Asian Cup, the biggest tournaments in the respective continents. But the Premier League will continue. Obviously, the English's top flight hosts several top players form Asia and Africa who have now left their domestic sides to join the countrymen. But just how much do these mid-season international tournaments affect the Premier League and who has lost the most players?

Nottingham Forest have lost the most players to AFCON with six of their players called up to play in the tournament which could be a big miss for a side with a new man in the dugout in Nuno Espirito Santo. Everton have lost one of their most key midfielders in Idrissa Gana Gueye which could prove pivotal in their next five or six games whilst he competes for defending champions Senegal. The most notable absence is Mohammed Salah for Liverpool, who will undoubtedly miss their main man and his scoring prowess but The Reds also have sufficient backup in attacking positions which Klopp will hope means that they will not lose any ground in the title race, as they currently sit top of the table.

The total number of Premier League players competing in both AFCON and The Asian Cup is thought to be around 50, and in a season where injuries have plagued most teams, squad depth may heavily come into play in the next month or two. Newcastle and Man City however are likely to be unaffected, and with Pep Guardiola's team receiving the return of star man Kevin De Bruyne, it could be time for City to regain top form and make a surge for the top spot, a position they are vey much sued to holding - as they go for their fourth title in a row, and sixth in the last seven years.

With regards to the Asian Cup, Tottenham Hotspur could dearly miss their main man Heung-Min Son, who will be looking to win the tournament for South Korea, which would be their first win since 1960 after losing to Australia in the 2015 final. Spurs will be boosted by the return from injury of James Maddison but Son is integral to their success, even more so since the departure of Harry Kane in the summer. The next few games could be crucial in Spurs' season and they will have to try and find the goals and the wins without their top scorer. Deep down, Ange Postecoglou may be hoping that South Korea don't make it to the final so he can get his man back earlier, but they are the second favourites to win according to most bookies.

Brentford are another side who could be heavily impacted by AFCON, with two of their key attacking players, Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa going to play for Cameroon and Congo respectively. The two have contributed to nearly half of the Bees' total goals this season, which will make Thomas Frank even more keen to hold onto Ivan Toney during the January transfer window as he comes back following his eight month suspension from the betting scandal.

Only time will tell to discover to what extent certain teams will miss their key players because of AFCON and The Asian Cup. But the tournaments will certainly have an impact on the Premier League as teams look to put a busy festive period behind them as we enter crunch time.