The upcoming AFCON (African Cup of Nations) and Asian Cup can prove to be the turning point for Pep Guardiola and his pursuit of his 6th Premier League title. At the moment, Manchester City sits in 3rd place with 40 points, which is the same as Arsenal. They are also trailing behind table leaders Liverpool by 5 points. However, these teams, along with others, will be missing some key players for matchday 21.

The 21st Gameweek of the Premier League is set to commence on January 13th. This coincides with the start of the AFCON  and the Asia Cup, both beginning on January 13th and 12th respectively. As a result, teams will have to cope without their key players who are away representing their countries in these international tournaments. However, this is not a concern for Pep Guardiola.

International competitions bringing in hope for Pep Guardiola

Manchester City is safe for the upcoming matches, as none of their players will be leaving for the international competitions. On the other hand, table leaders, Liverpool, will miss Mohammed Salah and Wataru Endo who will represent Egypt and Japan respectively. Arsenal will also be without Mohamed Elneny, who will be joining Salah in representing Egypt, and Takehiro Tomiyasu who will be playing for Japan.

Additionally, Tottenham Hotspur, who are trailing behind Manchester City by only one point, will lose three players: Son Heung-min (South Korea), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal), and Yves Bissouma (Mali). Manchester United will also be without Andre Onana (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), and Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco).

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Even Chelsea won’t escape unscathed as Nicholas Jackson represents Senegal. Current runner-up Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore will also leave to join Burkina Faso during this crucial period of the season. In contrast, Pep Guardiola’s side can take comfort in the fact that they won’t lose any players. Additionally, they can breathe a sigh of relief as their key players are set to make their return from injury.

The expected date of return for Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City has been facing significant injury setbacks in recent months, but there is no reason to be optimistic. Erling Haaland, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, is set to make his comeback against Newcastle on January 13th. Another key player, Kevin De Bruyne, has been out of action since August due to a hamstring injury. But he is expected to return for the match against Huddersfield on January 7th.

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Additionally, Jeremy Doku, who has also been dealing with a hamstring issue, is anticipated to make his return on the same day. With the return of these talented players and no worries arising from AFCON and the Asian Cup, the stars are aligning for Pep Guardiola and his team.

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