Arsenal could receive huge quadruple boost for AFCON

The festive fixture list is in full swing with matches every three days, all of which is building up towards the January period where Arsenal were set to bid farewell to four of their squad members.

AFCON is on the horizon for the Premier League’s African contingent, a competition that hits some clubs harder than others. For Arsenal, the prospect of losing Thomas Partey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was felt as a big blow.

Nicolas Pepe and Mohamed Elneny are also due to depart with their respective nations, and although their absences will be less keenly felt, it’s nevertheless reducing the Gunners’ strength in depth after a spell in the season where injuries are tough to avoid.

Of course, a few weeks ago losing all four would have been significantly more damaging than it is now. Aubameyang has been stripped of the captaincy and is not being considered for selection at this moment in time, while Partey’s form has been the worst since he joined the club.

Arsenal could receive huge Aubameyang, Partey, Pepe and Elneny quadruple boost as AFCON is in risk of being cancelled

Meanwhile, Pepe couldn’t get minutes if he paid for them and Sambi Lokonga has continued to impress in the heart of midfield. The joke was that AFCON would in fact strengthen Arsenal, especially with all four not in most peoples’ starting lineups. Gabon vs Ghana final, anyone?

However, losing four players from any squad is never desirable, which is why the emerging rumours that AFCON could be postponed indefinitely could hand Arsenal a quadruple boost. RMC Sport report that the increase in COVID cases due to the new Omicron variant is causing uncertainty over whether the tournament should go ahead.

"“According to our information, the African Football Confederation (CAF) could announce a cancellation of the 2022 competition in Cameroon,” the report reads. “Several national coaches have echoed this possibility without an official decision being announced to them at the moment.“Beyond the organizational difficulties linked to Covid-19 and its new variant Omicron, CAF is faced with the discontent of certain clubs, mainly English, who would like to be able to keep the players on British soil in the coming weeks.“The African players called up by their selection should thus undergo a quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom, which would therefore deprive the clubs of their players for a longer period.“And the country is currently affected by a significant wave of Covid cases.”"

From a selfish point of view the news will come as welcome relief to Arteta, particularly in the case of Partey who he will be desperate to keep hold of over January to continue rebuilding his partnership with Granit Xhaka in midfield after the latter’s injury absence.

It may also open the scope for Aubameyang to be sold in in the winter window, should that be explored, which it is likely to be. His wages are the primary issue but being away in Cameroon would also hinder any discussions in that regard.

How long will the captain stay out of the team if AFCON is postponed?