There were 33 Premier League players who went away to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – and 32 of them remain there after the group stage!
Only Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tawanda Chirewa (£4.3m), not exactly a household name in Fantasy circles, has returned following Zimbabwe’s elimination.
So, when can we expect the other top-flight players to be back in domestic action?
Ahead of the start of the knockout rounds, we look at the bookmaker’s odds of progress for each relevant country.
GAMEWEEK/AFCON ROUND OVERVIEW
Before we pass over to the bookies, a reminder of how the AFCON rounds match up with Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweeks:
A group stage exit could have seen players return for this Gameweek.
But those who have made it through to the last 16 will miss at least Gameweek 20, and potentially/probably Gameweek 21 as well.
Players making it through to the quarter-finals will miss Gameweeks 20 and 21 for definite.
Going all the way to the semi-finals means sitting out six Gameweeks in total, as there’s a third/fourth-place play-off to contest on the weekend of Gameweek 22, too.
BOOKIES’ PERCENTAGES FOR EACH ROUND + PROJECTED RETURN
Here we go, then, with the bookmakers’ percentages for all 13 nations who still have Premier League representation at this winter’s tournament.
We’ve listed a projected finish and a possible return date, too.
A reminder that these odds/projections are purely based on the bookies’ expectations – and things rarely ever go according to the script!
ANALYSIS
There are earlier return dates for two of the countries projected to be eliminated in the last 16. That’s because the round-of-16 ties involving Mali and South Africa take place on January 3 and 4, potentially allowing Yves Bissouma (£5.2m) and Lyle Foster (£4.9m) to return in time for Gameweek 21 (it’ll be tight!). Not that Tottenham Hotspur will be selecting the out-of-favour Bissouma anyway…
Why are Algeria projected to make the semi-finals, despite having a lower percentage than Nigeria? That’s because the odds factor in Algeria’s trickier round-of-16 match. If Algeria and Nigeria both make it through to the quarter-finals, as expected, they’ll meet each other, and Rayan Ait-Nouri (£5.7m)’s side will (just) be the bookies’ favourites.
Morocco, Egypt and Senegal are the other favourites to make the AFCON semi-finals, so their players – including Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), Ismaila Sarr (£6.4m) and Iliman Ndiaye (£6.2m) – may not be back until Gameweek 23.
Group winners Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Senegal face the four third-placed teams in the last 16. That should ensure a safe passage to the quarter-finals, barring shocks.
You may have noticed that the odds for Bryan Mbeumo‘s (£8.1m) Cameroon are relatively low.
That’s because they have a trickier round-of-16 clash with South Africa. Even if they were to get through that, it’s hosts Morocco awaiting in the quarter-finals.
