Tottenham Hotspur could be without two key players for around two months at a crucial point in the 2025-25 season after FIFA’s decision regarding an upcoming tournament.
There could be some wholesale changes at Tottenham after what has been an extremely disappointing campaign so far, with Ange Postecoglou expected to be replaced in the summer.
The club will also need to make some significant additions to the squad, with their injury crisis this campaign exposing the lack of depth.
However, Tottenham Hotspur have now learned that they might face a significant disruption next campaign as two of their players could miss key games mid-season.
Two Spurs midfielders could miss 10 matches next season
Football.London point out that while the African Cup of Nations was initially scheduled to be played this summer, FIFA have moved the competition to the winter in order to accommodate the Club World Cup, which will be played this summer.
The AFCON will be held in Morocco and is set to begin on December 21 before coming to a close on January 18.
Both Senegal and Mali have qualified for the tournament, which means that Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr are both expected to be involved.
It is asserted that the pair could miss up to 10 matches across all competitions for Spurs if either of their nations make it deep into the tournament.
Why Tottenham may not be worried about Yves Bissouma’s situation
While having the AFCON mid-season does pose a problem for Tottenham and others, the Lilywhites will not be sweating too much about potentially missing Bissouma.
This is because it has been widely reported over recent weeks that Spurs are expected to cash in on Bissouma this summer as the midfielder edges closer to the final year of his contract.
However, AFCON participation is something that Tottenham and others will certainly consider before finalising their top summer targets, as no club will want to miss key players in a crucial phase of their campaign.