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Manchester City, Arsenal & Chelsea all face temporary exodus - but which Premier League team will be hit hardest by the African Cup of Nations?
Newcastle and top-flight strugglers QPR & Wigan are also set to be hit by absences as a result of the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, but who will struggle most?
9 Jan 2012 14:45:00
Getty Images
POLL
For several Premier League clubs the start of 2012 promises to be a particularly tough one as they prepare to lose key players for up to a month to the African Cup of Nations, which officially kicks off on January 21 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
With some of the top flight’s best African players already jetting off to join their national squad and the tournament preparing to get into full swing, Goal.com wants to know which top-flight English club you feel will be most affected.
Will City’s seemingly unstoppable title charge come to a juddering halt? Will Chelsea and Arsenal – and even perhaps Newcastle – lose ground in the race for the top four? With Tottenham and Manchester United unaffected by the tournament, there's a chance that it could have a huge impact at the top of the table
Or will the tournament’s adverse effects be felt more at the sharp end of things, with QPR or Wigan plunging ever deeper into the relegation mire?
Departees: Marouane Chamakh, Gervinho
The departures of Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh from the Emirates for the tournament leaves Gunners fans hoping Thierry Henry’s sensational return to the club proves more than a publicity stunt, as they look to ease the scoring burden which weighs heavily on captain Robin van Persie.
The Frenchman may be called upon more than first thought, with the out of sorts Andrey Arshavin and Park Chu-Young, a player yet to play in the Premier League, offering little in the way of options for Arsene Wenger.
Departees: Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou
At Stamford Bridge, under-pressure Andre Villas-Boas will be desperately hoping Fernando Torres finally begins to justify the £50 million Chelsea paid for him a year ago, deprived as the Blues boss is of Ivorian strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou.
If the Spaniard does not, questions may be asked as to whether Villas-Boas is the right man to oversee the Chelsea revolution.
Departees: Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure
Leaders Manchester City’s title credentials will be tested by having a Yaya Toure-sized hole to fill in the centre of their midfield, with he and brother Kolo set to represent a heavily-fancied Ivory Coast team at the tournament.
The duo are set to miss both legs of City’s League Cup semi-final against Liverpool, as well as a league clash at home with Tottenham. Manchester United and Spurs will surely be hoping the likes of James Milner and Nigel De Jong prove insufficient for the task.
Departees: Demba Ba, Cheikh Tiote
Surprise package Newcastle could also be brought crashing to earth as a result of Afcon. Their strength in depth will certainly be tested by the absence of in-form top scorer Demba Ba and midfield enforcer Cheikh Tiote, away with Senegal and Ivory Coast respectively. Alan Pardew will be relying on the likes of Danny Guthrie and Leon Best to fill the void.
Tony Pulis' Stoke only have to contend with the loss of Senegal international Salif Diao, but further down the table, two of the Premier League’s strugglers will have to do without key players as they continue to scrap for vital points.
QPR’s Armand Traore and arguably Wigan’s player of the season, Mohamed Diame, are away representing Senegal, while Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt spearheads Morocco’s challenge. The loss of Alejandro Faurlin to long term injury on top of the departures will leave Neil Warnock's eventual replacement with a huge creative gap when arriving at Loftus Road.
For several Premier League clubs the start of 2012 promises to be a particularly tough one as they prepare to lose key players for up to a month to the African Cup of Nations, which officially kicks off on January 21 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
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With some of the top flight’s best African players already jetting off to join their national squad and the tournament preparing to get into full swing, Goal.com wants to know which top-flight English club you feel will be most affected.
Will City’s seemingly unstoppable title charge come to a juddering halt? Will Chelsea and Arsenal – and even perhaps Newcastle – lose ground in the race for the top four? With Tottenham and Manchester United unaffected by the tournament, there's a chance that it could have a huge impact at the top of the table
Or will the tournament’s adverse effects be felt more at the sharp end of things, with QPR or Wigan plunging ever deeper into the relegation mire?
| ARSENAL |
Departees: Marouane Chamakh, Gervinho
The departures of Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh from the Emirates for the tournament leaves Gunners fans hoping Thierry Henry’s sensational return to the club proves more than a publicity stunt, as they look to ease the scoring burden which weighs heavily on captain Robin van Persie.
The Frenchman may be called upon more than first thought, with the out of sorts Andrey Arshavin and Park Chu-Young, a player yet to play in the Premier League, offering little in the way of options for Arsene Wenger.
| CHELSEA |
Departees: Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou
At Stamford Bridge, under-pressure Andre Villas-Boas will be desperately hoping Fernando Torres finally begins to justify the £50 million Chelsea paid for him a year ago, deprived as the Blues boss is of Ivorian strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou.
If the Spaniard does not, questions may be asked as to whether Villas-Boas is the right man to oversee the Chelsea revolution.
| MANCHESTER CITY |
Departees: Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure
Leaders Manchester City’s title credentials will be tested by having a Yaya Toure-sized hole to fill in the centre of their midfield, with he and brother Kolo set to represent a heavily-fancied Ivory Coast team at the tournament.
The duo are set to miss both legs of City’s League Cup semi-final against Liverpool, as well as a league clash at home with Tottenham. Manchester United and Spurs will surely be hoping the likes of James Milner and Nigel De Jong prove insufficient for the task.
| NEWCASTLE |
Departees: Demba Ba, Cheikh Tiote
Surprise package Newcastle could also be brought crashing to earth as a result of Afcon. Their strength in depth will certainly be tested by the absence of in-form top scorer Demba Ba and midfield enforcer Cheikh Tiote, away with Senegal and Ivory Coast respectively. Alan Pardew will be relying on the likes of Danny Guthrie and Leon Best to fill the void.
| QPR, STOKE & WIGAN |
Tony Pulis' Stoke only have to contend with the loss of Senegal international Salif Diao, but further down the table, two of the Premier League’s strugglers will have to do without key players as they continue to scrap for vital points.
QPR’s Armand Traore and arguably Wigan’s player of the season, Mohamed Diame, are away representing Senegal, while Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt spearheads Morocco’s challenge. The loss of Alejandro Faurlin to long term injury on top of the departures will leave Neil Warnock's eventual replacement with a huge creative gap when arriving at Loftus Road.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Let us know your views by voting in our poll and by leaving a comment below. You can also engage with us and other readers on the Goal.com Facebook and Twitter pages. The best comments and the results of our poll will be published in the days ahead.| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
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| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
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| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
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| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
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Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 9 Jan 2012 to 11 Jan 2012
Poll runs from 9 Jan 2012 to 11 Jan 2012
Which team will be hit hardest by the Africa Cup of Nations?
Newcastle
48.9%
Manchester City
36.51%
Chelsea
6.5%
Arsenal
5.9%
QPR
1.53%
Wigan
0.54%
Stoke City
0.11%
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