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Wigan & Manchester City: set to miss out most because of the African cup of Nations?

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The 23-man squads for the Africa Cup of Nations have been finalised, leaving a number of Barclays Premier League and npower Championship managers considering their losses.

Many have been fortunate. Martin O’Neill will be able to call upon Stephane Sessegnon, while Demba Ba has to opportunity to continue his promising start under Rafael Benitez at Chelsea, more than making up for the combined loss of midfielders John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses. Adel Taarabt and Marouane Chamakh were not included for Morocco, boosting Harry Redknapp and Sam Allardyce’s squads.

The absence of Malian duo Samba Diakite and Modibo Maiga will leave Redknapp and Allardyce with holes to fill, but other managers have been left nursing much deeper wounds. Although Alan Pardew will be relieved to have strikers Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi at his disposal following the departure of Ba, Cheick Tiote’s call up for Cote d’Ivoire leaves his injury-hit squad looking even more threadbare.

Tiote’s compatriots Kolo Toure and Abdul Razak will also make the trip to South Africa. But it is the absence of a third Manchester City player, Yaya Toure, that will give Roberto Mancini most cause for concern. The influential former Barcelona man has scored four times for the reigning league champions this season, while also providing three assists. City were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions in Toure’s absence last season, but their upcoming fixture schedule this campaign, which features games against Fulham, QPR and Southampton, does offer Mancini minor consolation.

Fellow central midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu will also be a notable absentee, for Steve Clarke’s West Brom. The Congolese player has only missed three league games for the Baggies this term, playing an invaluable role in their remarkable form which sees them sit seventh in the table. Should Mulumbu and his national team-mates fail to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition, which is a distinct possibility, Clarke could be without his first-choice midfielder for just three games however, able to recall the player for their home clash against Tottenham on February 3.

Spurs themselves are left with a selection problem after Emmanuel Adebayor reversed his decision not to join up with the Togo squad. Adebayor’s absence leaves Andre Villas-Boas with only one other recognised striker, in Jermain Defoe, but Clint Dempsey and Gylfi Sigurdsson can both provide central attacking options. The Togo captain has scored only three goals in 18 appearances this season, and has struggled with a hamstring injury, meaning his absence will not be as sorely felt as might have been anticipated.

The unavailability of another striker, Arouna Kone, may have the biggest impact to his team’s fortunes. Although the Ivorian front man has struggled to find consistency in front of goal, two goals in his last three games suggests Kone is some way to attaining the performance levels he reached last season, when he scored 15 times for Levante. With Roberto Martinez’s men facing another relegation battle, and encounters with Sunderland, Stoke and Southampton on the horizon, the Latics would have benefited hugely from Kone’s presence. Unpredictable forward pair Jordi Gomez and Franco Di Santo will need to step up to the plate in the coming month.

A number of Championship clubs will also miss key players. South African Kagisho Dikgacoi will be an appreciable miss for promotion-chasing Crystal Palace, as will Albert Adhomah at Bristol City. League One side Oldham are equally deprived, without the services of their captain, Dean Furman, as they look to arrest a run of form that has seen them slide towards the relegation places.

Boundary Park manager Paul Dickov will have to get by in the meantime, but it will be the two Robertos, Mancini and Martinez, with most cause to fret.

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