The nine games Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy could miss for Chelsea due to AFCON
The Blues are set to face an extremely busy January schedule and will be without Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy due to their commitments at the African Cup of Nations.
Chelsea are set to be without two key members of their first-team squad with the African Cup of Nations primed to cause havoc to their January schedule.
Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy are likely to be part of the Morocco and Senegal squads, respectively, for the upcoming tournament.
Held in Cameroon, the tournament, that was previously moved to summer to accommodate for club action, has once again been reverted back to the winter and is scheduled to take place between 9 January and 6 February 2022 – meaning both Ziyech and Mendy, depending on their respective runs in the competition, could be missing for just under a month of action.
However, there is a nuance to the latest rules. A report from The Athletic says that FIFA rules state: “Players must be released and start travel to their representative team no later than Monday morning the week preceding the week when the relevant final competition starts.”
This means that both Chelsea players could depart west London as early as December 27 and would this miss even more matches.
A total of six Premier League fixtures are doubtful, starting with Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on December 29th. This is followed by another home clash with Liverpool, an away trip to Manchester City and then a London derby with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues then renew rivalries with Brighton on February 8, a game that Thomas Tuchel will hope both players are back for.
It is not just league fixtures that are under threat though. Hinging on Chelsea’s participation, the Carabao Cup semi-finals, as well as the third and fourth round of the FA Cup are scheduled at the same time as AFCON.
Meanwhile, the FIFA Club World Cup is also putting extra strain on Chelsea’s January schedule, with a definitive date yet to be determined. The Blues are set to play three matches in the competition having lifted the Champions League last season.
Take a look at the full list of fixtures Mendy and Ziyech could miss here:
Brighton (H)- December 29
Liverpool (H) January 2
FA Cup third round- January 8
Carabao Cup semifinal second leg (tbc0- w/c 10 jan
Manchester City (A)- January 15
Tottenham (H)- January 22
FA Cup fourth round (tbc)- February 5
Brighton (A)- February 8
FIFA Club World Cup (tbc)
