The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the Asian Cup are both set to commence in January, leading to the absence of numerous Premier League stars as they participate in these tournaments. AFCON is scheduled to run from 13 January to 11 February in Ivory Coast, while the Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from 12 January to 10 February. This will coincide with the winter breaks in some European leagues, resulting in several weeks without key players for Premier League clubs.

Several African nations, including Angola, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and others, have finalized their squads for AFCON, while others like Egypt, Gambia, and Ghana have only named provisional squads. The final squads for AFCON are required to be submitted by 3 January 2024. Similarly, the Asian Cup has seen countries like Australia, Iraq, Malaysia, and South Korea announce their final squads, while others have named provisional squads.

The impact on Premier League clubs is evident, with players from various countries set to represent their national teams. For instance, Arsenal will be without Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey (Egypt and Ghana, respectively), while Aston Villa's Bertrand Traore will represent Burkina Faso. Other clubs, such as Brentford, Brighton, and Chelsea, will also see their players participating in these international tournaments.

The absence of these players is expected to pose challenges for their respective Premier League clubs, as they will have to cope without their key contributors during this period.

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