Asian Cup guide with dates, fixtures and games Premier League stars will miss
The Asian Cup gets underway in Qatar on January 12 and there are eight Premier League stars set to be involved.
In a format that mirrors the past two European Championships, and will again be adopted in Germany this summer, the early stages will consist of six groups of four sides. The winners, runners up, and two best third-placed sides will duly progress to the last-16 as the knockout stages begin.
And top-flight clubs in England could be forgiven for discreetly hoping their players aren't in a team that goes all the way. It's Japan who will kick-off as favourites to land the trophy in Qatar, but it's the hosts who go in as defending champions having lifted the trophy back in 2019.
Tournament dates and fixtures
Like with the 2022 World Cup, it's Qatar who will get things started at the Lusail Stadium.
On Friday, January 12, they play Lebanon with a 7pm kick-off - with the group games coming thick and fast thereafter. That stage is rounded off on January 25, when Group F culminates with Saudi Arabia facing Thailand and Kyrgyzstan playing Oman.
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The round of last-16 is spread over January 28, 29, 30 and 31. Those remaining after that will play quarter-final ties on February 2 and 3, with the semi-finals on February 6 and 7 respectively.
The final will take place in Lusail on Saturday, February 10 - a weekend when a full round of Premier League fixtures take place. It means some managers face the prospect of losing one of their key players, or in the case of Brentford and Wolves two key players, for more than a month.
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Tottenham star Son Heung-Min is heading to the Asian Cup with South Korea (VINCE MIGNOTT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Premier League games affected
Mercifully for English clubs with a vested interest, the early stages of the tournament will coincide with a break in Premier League action with the FA Cup taking precedence this weekend.
But come Sunday, January 14 and Tottenham will be the first club to be hit by a significant absence with Son Heung-Min to miss their trip to Manchester United while he's away with South Korea. On Saturday, January 20, Arsenal won't have Japan star Takehiro Tomiyasu available for selection against Crystal Palace, while Brentford will be missing Saman Ghoddos (Iran) and Kim Ji-soo (South Korea) for the visit of Nottingham Forest. The following day, Liverpool will without another Japanese midfielder, Wataru Endo, when they go to Bournemouth.
And the tournament will impact the game on Monday, January 22 between Brighton - who will also be missing a Japan star in Karou Mitoma - and a Wolves team who will be minus Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea) and youngster Justin Hubner (Indonesia).
From that point, certain players could return as the group stages end. But as the Premier League schedule picks up again, the majority will surely remain at the tournament. For example, if the fancied South Korea go the distance, Ange Postecoglou will be forced to deal with three further matches without his club captain.
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