Pape Sarr could miss an entire month of action for Tottenham Hotspur when he links up with the Senegal squad for the African Cup of Nations.
The timing of the African Cup of Nations is always a source of consternation for European clubs as the tournament is typically held in December and January, which is a crucial juncture in their season.
Many clubs across the continent will thus lose top players to the tournament, and Tottenham Hotspur are no exception.
While Spurs will be delighted Mohammed Kudus will not travel to AFCON after Ghana failed to qualify for the competition, the Lilywhites will lose both Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma, with Senegal and Mali being part of the big event in Morocco.
What games will Pape Sarr miss for Tottenham?
There is no doubt that Sarr will be the much bigger miss out of the two for the Lilywhites, and the 23-year-old could be out of several big matches if his nation makes it all the way into the final.
With Senegal playing three group games starting on December 23, the Tottenham midfielder is guaranteed to be unavailable for these three fixtures:
- December 20: Liverpool (H)
- December 27: Crystal Palace (A)
- December 30: Brentford (A)
Here are the games that Sarr will miss if Senegal make it into the knockout stages:
- January 3: Sunderland (If Senegal make it to the round of 16)
- January 7: Bournemouth (If Senegal reach the quarterfinal)
- January 17: West Ham
- January 20: Borussia Dortmund (If Senegal reach the final)
Will Yves Bissouma link up with the Mali squad for AFCON?
Bissouma picked up a knee injury while featuring for Mali in October, and he remains out of action at the moment.
The Spurs midfielder has been training at the FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence in Qatar to step up his recovery.
There has been no official communication from Tottenham about his expected return date, but the 29-year-old will not be a big miss for Thomas Frank, as he has not kicked a ball anyway for the Lilywhites this season.