The start of the new year will see the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations take centre stage with teams from across the Premier League set to lose players for up to five weeks.
One of those sides is Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Arsenal, who will fall victims to the tournament held in the Ivory Coast from 13th January-11th February.
The games Arsenal players could miss to AFCON include the FA Cup and Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, as well as London derbies against Crystal Palace and West Ham United.
Who exactly are Arsenal expected to lose to AFCON? Let’s take a look…
Who Will Arsenal Lose To AFCON?
If truth be told, Arsenal won’t actually be too affected when the tournament kicks-off in the Ivory Coast on 13th January 2024. This news will come as a huge relief to fans of the Gunners as they embark on the second half of the 2023/24 season.
The only player in question is Egypt’s Mohamed Elneny. The midfielder has missed large parts of the current season owing to injury and even if fully fit, he would have found it hard to break into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.
Several other Premier League clubs are worse off than Arsenal, which you can read about here in our team-by-team guide. Other than Elneny, Takehiro Tomiyasu will also be absent for a potential five weeks as he jets off to represent Japan in the Asia Cup.
Games Arsenal Players Will Miss To AFCON
Naturally, the length of Elneny’s absence will depend on how far Egypt go at the 2023 AFCON. In Arsenal’s case, if the Pharaoh’s didn’t make it past the group stage, Elneny would be back at the club on or around 25th January 2024.
However, Egypt are one of the better African nations so it’s more than likely they’ll have an extended stay in the Ivory Coast. Last time out on 2021, the Pharaohs went all the way to the final, so a repeat this year is more than possible.
The games Elneny could miss include the home Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool. He could also miss away clashes against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. The 31-year old will also miss the FA Cup clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side at the Emirates. If they win, they will also miss the 4th round clash.
Arsenal’s Schedule During AFCON
- 7th January vs Liverpool (H) – FA Cup 3rd round
- 20th January vs Crystal Palace (H) – Premier League
- 27th January – FA Cup 4th round
- 30th January vs Nottingham Forest (A) – Premier League
- 4th February vs Liverpool (H) – Premier League
- 11th February vs West Ham (A) – Premier League
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
