AFCON Call-Ups Leave Fulham and Man United Exposed As EPL Braced For Mid-Season Shake-Up

Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah for the duration of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign, but the Reds are far from the worst-hit Premier League side when it comes to mid-season absences.

Salah has now played his final game of 2025 for the club, and with ongoing debate about his long-term future at Anfield, his departure for AFCON adds another layer of uncertainty.

The tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18, inevitably disrupts domestic squads, yet Liverpool’s situation is relatively mild compared to several of their rivals. Eleven Premier League clubs will lose more players than Liverpool, with some facing far more significant disruption.

Sunderland are the most heavily affected, with six players called up across multiple nations. But the more telling stories come from clubs like Fulham and Manchester United, who each lose three influential first-team players.

Fulham must cope without Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze, all important figures in Marco Silva’s system and all representing Nigeria. Their absence strips Fulham of creativity, defensive stability and attacking threat at a crucial point in the season.

Manchester United face a similar challenge. Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo all depart, leaving Erik ten Hag without key contributors in wide areas and at full-back.

For a squad already dealing with inconsistency, losing three senior players simultaneously could have a major impact on their momentum.

Burnley are also hit hard with three call-ups, while Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Manchester City, Brentford, Tottenham and West Ham each lose two players.

Even Crystal Palace and Brighton, with one call-up apiece, will feel the strain given the importance of players like Ismaila Sarr and Carlos Baleba.

Liverpool, by contrast, lose only Salah, though his influence is so immense that his absence arguably carries more weight than the numerical losses of other clubs.

The Reds will need to navigate a demanding festive and New Year schedule without their most prolific attacker, while hoping Egypt’s run does not extend too deep into the tournament.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, have Evann Guessand on standby for the Ivory Coast, adding another layer of uncertainty for Unai Emery.