How will rivals cope with AFCON blues?

GUNNERS UNAFFECTED - BUT NDIAYE AND GUEYE LOSS CAN BE OFFSET BY OPPONENTS' CALL-UPS

- By JOE THOMAS

THE impact of the Africa Cup of Nations on Everton’s squad has long been on the mind of David Moyes.

Star players Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye have now joined up with the Senegal squad ahead of the tournament, which starts in Morocco next week.

They could miss as many as seven matches across the Premier League and FA Cup.

Their departures will hurt a small squad that is now starting to buckle through injuries, with long-term absentees Merlin Rohl and Jarrad Branthwaite having recently been joined by Seamus Coleman and with concerns over the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish following the defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.

Everton are not the only club now having to consider how to manipulate their squad to deal with the loss of some of their best players.

And, here, the ECHO looks at each of the Blues’ upcoming opponents to examine how they too will be forced to adapt.

Arsenal (H) Saturday, December 20

Arsenal are one of five clubs unaffected by AFCON. The Gunners, who sit top of the table ahead of their first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium, laboured to a last-gasp win over bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night and do have injury concerns - defender Ben White the latest to suffer an issue that will keep him out.

His hamstring problem means he joins Max Dowman (ankle), Christhian Mosquera (ankle), and Kai Havertz on the sidelines though Havertz is nearing a return from a knee injury suffered on the opening weekend of the season.

Everton is the first of a busy stint for Mikel Arteta’s side but they do have seven days to prepare for the game - a degree of respite after Wolves ended a run of seven matches in 21 days.

Burnley (A) Saturday, December 27