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#3 Arsenal
Another Premier League side that will be affected by the Africa Cup of Nations is Arsenal. The Gunners have turned their season around after an abysmal start that saw them occupy 20th place in the Premier League at some point.
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The Gunners will lose captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, winger Nicolas Pepe and midfielders Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, all of whom will be called up by their national teams. Arsenal face a daunting run of fixtures in the Premier League during the course of the AFCON.
They face Wolverhampton Wanderers twice, champions Manchester City, Tottenham and Burnley, in a run that will determine where they finish in the Premier League table. Mikel Arteta's men will lose a number of key players and must make use of the resources at their disposal in the absence of the aforementioned stars.
#2 Leicester City
Leicester City have not started their Premier League season how they would have hoped for following their genuine top-four challenge in the last two seasons. The Foxes have struggled since the start of the season with injury and loss of form. Manager Brendan Rodgers is resigned to losing last season's top scorer Kelechi Iheanacho, midfield anchor Wilfred Ndidi and utility man Daniel Amartey due to the AFCON.
These three men have been hugely important for the Foxes this season and will surely be missed. Amartey stepped up to play in defense after injuries to Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana, and has been with the team ever since. Iheanacho has proven to be of value with his goals and assists this season proving important. Ndidi is undoubtedly one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League and will be missed by the Foxes.
Leicester City must now find a solution with games against Liverpool (twice), Norwich, Burnley and Brighton scheduled to take place while these players are away. The Foxes will be thankful that Zambia did not qualify for the tournament, since Patson Daka will be available for selection.
#1 Liverpool
Liverpool will have a real problem on their hands when two-thirds of their attacking triumvirate have to leave for the AFCON in December. The Reds are currently chasing a second Premier League crown in three seasons.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are the players who will take part in the tournament for Egypt, Senegal and Guinea, respectively. This poses a problem for Liverpool because in attack, Salah and Mane are their most potent goal scorers, and injuries have left them threadbare in midfield at times this season.
The Reds will play against Leicester (twice), Chelsea, Brentford and Crystal Palace in the Premier League while Salah, Mane and Keita are halfway across the world playing in the AFCON. Jurgen Klopp must see to it that solutions are found to prevent their title chase from falling like a house of cards.
