Tottenham Hotspur will lose two players to AFCON

Tottenham Hotspur endured a disastrous November when they suffered three straight defeats. 

The Lilywhites have since bounced back with two wins and a draw from their previous three matches to ease the pressure on manager Thomas Frank. 

But despite the positive results, Spurs still find themselves in the bottom half of the table ahead of Sunday’s game at Nottingham Forest. 

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to begin on December 21, with clubs across the continent set to be affected. 

Tottenham are no exception as they will lose two players to the African tournament. 

While they will be delighted Mohamed Kudus will not travel to AFCON after Ghana failed to qualify, the Londoners will be without Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. 

Bissouma has been included in Mali’s squad, while Matar Sarr will jet off to represent Senegal. 

Bissouma is yet to play a game this season due to knee and ankle issues. 

The Mali international could also face disciplinary action from Spurs, as he was filmed inhaling nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. 

Matar Sarr’s absence will be a blow for Tottenham, with the 23-year-old featuring in 14 Premier League matches this campaign. 

The talented midfielder is guaranteed to be unavailable for December’s fixtures against Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Brentford. 

Depending on Senegal’s progress in the knockout stages, Matar Sarr could also miss against Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham United and Borussia Dortmund. 

With Spurs unable to call on the Senegalese, Archie Gray may be given a longer run in the team by Frank. 

Stats from Transfermarkt