In early 2024, there will be two big international football tournaments: the pool AFC Asian Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. Arsenal, the English club, have a stake in these two cups as some of their key players will be playing in it. The Africa Cup of Nations is taking place in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11. It’s especially exciting for Arsenal fans as it sets up a match between their midfielders, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny. This development may impact Arsenal’s plans as they closely watch their players’ performances in these important tournaments.
People expect Ghana and Egypt to progress from Group B in the Africa Cup of Nations. This can potentially leave Mikel Arteta without two key Arsenal players in January. This depends on if Partey and Elneny make it to their national teams’ final list.
At the same time, during the AFCON, the 2023 AFC Asian Cup is happening in Qatar. The only difference is the dates, with this event running from January 12 to February 10.
Earlier planned for China in the summer, the event moved to Qatar in May 2022 due to Covid-19. During the draw, they placed Japan in Group D, alongside Indonesia, Iraq, and Vietnam.
Takehiro Tomiyasu will be the third Arsenal player on national duty in the new year. Like Partey and Elneny, they’ll miss the match against Crystal Palace on January 20. They might be away for at least a month. If Ghana, Egypt, and Japan reach their tournament finals, Arteta may not have them back for Arsenal until after February 10. During this time, The Gunners have important matches against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, and West Ham United in the Premier League. The Carabao Cup exit helps reduce fixture congestion, with only a potential FA Cup fourth-round match on January 21, 2024.
How many fixtures of Arsenal they might miss?
If they are selected to participate in the AFCON and AFC Asian Cup, Partey, Elneny, and Tomiyasu are likely to depart around the FA Cup third-round weekend in January 2024. If they stay in these tournaments, they could miss up to six Arsenal matches, including a big home game against Liverpool.
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