Considering AFCON impacts on Premier League

I need to respond to a Chinese query about the Premier League and AFCON's effects. The user wants to know which five teams will be impacted most in the 2025/26 season. It looks like the season has already started since the current date is December 29, 2025. My knowledge is limited since my cutoff is in October 2024, so I won’t have the latest team rosters or transfers.

But I can still analyze typical AFCON timing and clubs with many African internationals. I’ll need to check the AFCON schedule, knowing it took place in January-February 2024.Analyzing AFCON 2025 dates and team impacts

The next AFCON is set for December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco. It was originally planned for June-July but changed due to the FIFA Club World Cup and weather considerations. This schedule means it will overlap with the busy Premier League period, likely leading to significant player absences.

As for which Premier League teams have many African players, I remember that Nottingham Forest had several, though I'm unsure after the 2024-25 transfers. Players like Awoniyi, Aina, and others come to mind, but I’ll need to double-check their current status.Evaluating Premier League teams with African players

Looking at team rosters, I noticed some players who may or may not impact AFCON participation. For example, Crystal Palace has Ayew and Schlupp from Ghana, and Doucoure from Mali, but others like Olise and Eze play for France. Liverpool has Mo Salah, a significant asset, but Keita and Mane are no longer with the team. Arsenal's Partey could be leaving, and Chelsea has players like Nicolas Jackson from Senegal but lacks others who would participate in AFCON. It seems several teams might not be heavily impacted after all.Assessing Premier League teams and potential AFCON absences

Considering the teams, it seems like only a couple of players like Jackson might be relevant for AFCON consideration. At Manchester City, Mahrez has left, so there's no impact there. For Manchester United, Amad Diallo and Andre Onana could miss a few games, which is moderate. Tottenham stands out with Sarr and Bissouma, who would both be significant losses. West Ham has Kudus and Aguerd, while Brighton's involvement from Adingra and Lamptey adds some depth to potential absences. Overall, it's a mixed bag!Identifying impacted teams for AFCON 2025

I’m assessing which Premier League teams will be most affected during AFCON 2025. Brentford might face significant losses with players like Wissa, Mbeumo, and Onyeka potentially missing key matches. Nottingham Forest also risks losing several important players. West Ham could see Kudus and Aguerd out. Tottenham would lose Bissouma and Sarr, and I’m debating including Liverpool due to the impact of losing Salah, even if it's just one player. So, I’ll rank these five: Liverpool, Brentford, Tottenham, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest.