With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) reaching its semifinal stage, Premier League clubs are keenly assessing which players will be available for the upcoming matchday, scheduled between January 17-19. The AFCON semifinals are set for Wednesday, January 14, featuring Senegal against Egypt, and Nigeria battling hosts Morocco. The tournament final will then take place on Sunday, January 18.

Several Premier League teams had no players participating in AFCON, ensuring their squads remain fully available for the immediate domestic fixtures. These clubs include Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leeds United, and Newcastle United. While these teams face no immediate AFCON-related selection dilemmas, their opponents may experience significant changes due to player absences or returns.

For clubs that contributed players to the tournament, the situation varies depending on their national team's progression. Brighton & Hove Albion, for instance, can welcome back key midfielder Carlos Baleba, whose Cameroon side was eliminated in the AFCON quarterfinals. Brentford will see Burkina Faso's Dango Outtara return to action, although they may still be without Nigeria's Frank Onyeka, as Nigeria has advanced to the semifinals. Burnley has already welcomed back DR Congo's Axel Tuanzebe and Tunisia's Hannibal Mejbri, and could also bring back South Africa's Lyle Foster. Nottingham Forest will benefit from the return of Ivory Coast players Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré following their nation's quarterfinal exit from AFCON.

Manchester United will be bolstered by the return of Cameroon's Bryan Mbeumo and Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo. Similarly, Manchester City will welcome back Algeria's Rayan Aït-Nouri. Tottenham Hotspur will have Yves Bissouma back in their ranks. Wolverhampton Wanderers can again select Emmanuel Agbadou and Tawanda Chirewa, while Jackson Tchatchoua and Tolu Arokodare were not initially selected for AFCON in the first place. West Ham United can count on DR Congo defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka returning to their squad.

However, several key players will remain at AFCON for the semifinal matches, making them unavailable for the immediate Premier League fixtures. Crystal Palace's Ismaïla Sarr and Everton's duo Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are all representing Senegal in the semifinals. Fulham will be without their Nigerian trio Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze as Nigeria competes for a spot in the final. Liverpool's star forward Mohamed Salah is still with Egypt, who are also in the semifinals. Manchester City could still miss Omar Marmoush, who is with Egypt, while Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui, representing Morocco, will remain unavailable. Tottenham Hotspur's Pape Matar Sarr and West Ham United's El Hadji Malick Diouf are both with Senegal in the ongoing tournament.

Sunderland, which had the most Premier League representatives at the Africa Cup of Nations, can welcome back Burkina Faso's Bertrand Traoré, DR Congo's Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki, and Mozambique's Reinildo. However, they might still be without Morocco's Chemsdine Talbi and Senegal's Habib Diarra, as their respective nations have reached the AFCON semifinals. This complex situation highlights the significant impact of international tournaments on club football scheduling and squad depth, with teams navigating player availability while competing in crucial domestic matches.