Which Premier League players could play at AFCON 2017?

By Nick Wright

Image: Leicester are likely to lose Algeria international Riyad Mahrez to AFCON

Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Eric Bailly are among the Premier League stars expected to be called up for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations at the start of next year.

The final round of qualifying matches took place over the weekend, with the 16-team tournament kicking off in Gabon on January 14 and ending with the final on February 5.

It's bad news for a number of Premier League sides, with a host of players expected to take part and potentially miss up to a month of domestic action which includes four rounds of league fixtures.

Based on recent call-ups, champions Leicester are likely to be the most affected side. Claudio Ranieri faces the prospect of losing four players - Algeria duo Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, and Ghana's Jeffrey Schlupp and Daniel Amartey - for a run of games that includes clashes with Chelsea, Southampton and Manchester United.

Image: Eric Bailly is expected to represent the Ivory Coast at AFCON

The Foxes are not the only title contenders who could suffer, with United's Eric Bailly, Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Mohamed Elneny likely to take part for Ivory Coast, Senegal and Egypt.

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Stoke, Sunderland, Watford and West Ham could lose three players each, including Wilfried Bony, Lamine Kone (both Ivory Coast), Adlene Guedioura (Algeria) and Andre Ayew (Ghana) respectively.

Image: Liverpool's Sadio Mane is an important player for Senegal

Everton will have to cope without new signings Yannick Bolasie and Idrissa Gueye, who represent DR Congo and Senegal, while Southampton could lose their newly-recruited Morocco international Sofiane Boufal.

Also See:

Burnley, Chelsea, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Swansea and Tottenham are the only Premier League sides likely to be unaffected. Read on for the full list…

Arsenal

Mohamed Elneny - Egypt

Bournemouth

Max Gradel - Ivory Coast

Crystal Palace

Pape Souare - Senegal

Bakary Sako - Mali

Everton

Idrissa Gueye - Senegal

Yannick Bolasie - DR Congo

Image: Everton's Yannick Bolasie is likely to travel to Gabon with DR Congo

Hull

Ahmed Elmohamady - Egypt

Leicester

Riyad Mahrez - Algeria

Islam Slimani - Algeria

Jeffrey Schlupp - Ghana

Daniel Amartey - Ghana

Liverpool

Sadio Mane - Senegal

Manchester United

Eric Bailly - Ivory Coast

Southampton

Sofiane Boufal - Morocco

Image: Southampton's Sofiane Boufal has recently broken into the Morocco team

Stoke

Mame Biram Diouf - Senegal

Ramadan Sobhi - Egypt

Wilfried Bony - Ivory Coast

Sunderland

Didier Ndong - Gabon

Lamine Kone - Ivory Coast

Wahbi Khazri - Tunisia

Image: Sunderland are likely to lose Ivory Coast international Lamine Kone

Watford

Nordin Amrabat - Morocco

Adlene Guedioura - Algeria

Brice Dja Djedje - Ivory Coast

West Brom

Allan Nyom - Cameroon

West Ham

Sofiane Feghouli - Algeria

Cheikhou Kouyate - Senegal

Andre Ayew - Ghana

Image: West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is a key player for Senegal
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