The next Asian Cup is set to take place from January 12 to February 10 2024, right in middle of the European football season, meaning several Premier League clubs are set to be without some key players for up to a month.
The tournament in Qatar was originally supposed to be held in China in June of this year but was rearranged due to COVID-19, and with Qatar winning the second round of bidding, the tournament had to be moved because of the high summer temperatures in the Middle East.
Here are all of the Premier League players set to compete in the tournament…
Heung-Min Son
Embed from Getty ImagesPerhaps the club who will be most impacted by the tournament is Tottenham Hotspur, given they will lose their captain and star man Heung-Min Son. The forward has been terrific under Ange Postecoglou this season, stepping up following the departure of Harry Kane and has scored 10 goals in 16 Premier League games so far this campaign.
With Spurs also set to lose Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr to the Africa Cup of Nations, a squad which has already been depleted with injuries this season is set to be hit even more by international tournaments. There is no getting away from how big Son’s absence will be for Spurs and it will be a huge challenge for Postecoglou to cope without him. Son will leave Spurs after their game against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve so is set to miss the FA Cup third round clash with Burnley on January 5, a potential fourth round tie and the League visit to Manchester United. He would also sit out the games against Brentford (H), Everton (A) & Brighton (H), depending on South Korea’s progress in the cup.
Kaoru Mitoma
Embed from Getty ImagesBrighton’s electric winger is another who will be heading to Qatar to compete in the tournament with Japan. Mitoma was excellent for Brighton last season but has found himself in and out of the team of late, though will no doubt still be a big miss for Roberto de Zerbi given what he is capable of and with Solly March and Julio Enciso still sidelined. It will be up to the Seagulls’ other attacking talents like Joao Pedro, Simon Adingra, Evan Ferguson and Facundo Buonanotte to ensure Mitoma’s absence is not felt too heavily.
Wataru Endo
Embed from Getty ImagesMitoma’s international team-mate with Japan and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo is another who will be unavailable for his club, and given Japan’s strength the duo will likely be away for some time. The 30-year-old has been a rotation option for Jurgen Klopp this season, with many of his minutes coming in the Europa League, so while he might not be losing a certified starter it is certainly a blow to lose a dependable squad option like Endo with his side in a title challenge.
Hwang Hee-Chan
Embed from Getty ImagesWolves are another side who will be hit hard by the loss of a key player in South Korea’s Hwang Hee-Chan. The forward has been in terrific form this season, scoring eight goals in 16 league games which has been vital to Gary O’Neil’s side staying out of the relegation fight so far. It will be a big loss for Wolves who will hope the likes of Matheus Cunha and Sasa Kalajdzic can contribute more while he is away.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Embed from Getty ImagesJapan and Arsenal defender Tomiyasu is currently sidelined with injury but if he recovers in time for the start of the tournament, he will no doubt want to play his part alongside the likes of Endo and Mitoma. Tomiyasu is not a regular starter for Arsenal with Ben White instead preferred at right-back but has a lot of importance to the squad thanks to his versatility, particularly given new signing Jurrien Timber has missed the entire season through injury and is still set to miss plenty more game time before he can return. Arsenal might need to look to the transfer market to shore up their defensive reinforcements in January.
Saman Ghoddos
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Iranian international and versatile Brentford man has mostly been used as a bit part player over the past couple of seasons but has stepped up into a bigger role this campaign given boss Thomas Frank’s long injury list. The Bees will be desperately hoping they have players back for when he has to depart or will be facing a real problem in the wide areas.
