With the Premier League just over the mid-point in the season for most teams, it's now time for a number of players to head off and represent their countries in the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
As well as the Premier League, a number of players will be making their way to Asia from Scotland, as Celtic and a number of other Scottish Premiership clubs will both be affected by the mid-season tournament.
And with the tournament set to get underway on 12th January, Football FanCast has taken a look at exactly who will be missing.
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The tournament will take place in Qatar and will span from 12th January to 10th February 2024.
It was originally set to take place in 2023, but it was postponed due to concerns over high summer temperatures in Qatar – who are standing in for original hosts China – and their involvement as a guest team at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
As a result, some Premier League and Scottish Premiership clubs will be forced to play without some of their stars across the winter months as they battle to keep their domestic campaigns going. Below are those confirmed as part of their respective countries' squads and heading to the Middle East in the coming days:
Arsenal – 1 player Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan)
Arsenal are set to be without defender Takehiro Tomiyasu for the foreseeable future after he was called up by Japan to represent them at the Asian Cup later this month.
This won't come as too much of a blow for the Gunners as he's not always been a starter under Mikel Arteta this season, with 1,055 minutes to his name thus far, which includes 630 in the Premier League.
However, losing depth in a key position like full-back could prove costly, as Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko are the only recognised senior alternatives, with Jakub Kiwior being forced to play out of position at times.
Brentford – 2 players Saman Ghoddos (Iran), Ji-Soo Kim (South Korea)
Brentford's Ji-Soo Kim has been called up by South Korea, while Saman Ghoddos will be representing Iran.
The former joined Brentford B back in the summer months and is yet to make an appearance in the first team, so he won't be a miss.
Meanwhile, Ghoddos has been a regular under Thomas Frank since around November, after being used off the substitutes' bench towards the start of the season. He has been deployed in all kinds of positions in recent games as Frank battles against injuries – at left-back, right-back and even left-midfield. This will be a big miss moving forward.
Brighton & Hove Albion – 1 player Kaoru Mitoma (Japan)
Kaoru Mitoma has received a call-up from Japan for the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
This came as a surprise to Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi as the winger suffered an injury on 21st December during the Seagulls' 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. It was even confirmed by the manager that he would be out for six weeks, which would make his return possible in the latter stages of the competition if Japan get that far.
After making a fast start to the season with three goals and three assists in his first six Premier League games, the winger has struggled to maintain that form, with just two assists since, though he has suffered from a couple of injuries.
Celtic – 5 players Marco Tilio (Australia), Reo Hatate (Japan), Daizen Maeda (Japan), Hyeon-Gyu Oh (South Korea), Hyun-Jun Yang (South Korea)
Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda have both been called up by Japan, but Kyogo Furuhashi was left at home in a surprising snub.
However, Celtic will have three others departing, with Hyeon-Gyu Oh and Hyun-Jun Yang both representing South Korea, with Marco Tilio featuring for Australia.
The two Japanese internationals have featured a combined 31 times this season, with four goals and five assists between them. Hyeon-Gyu and Hyun-Jun have 44 appearances between them in all competitions, with six goals and one assist combined. Lastly, Marco Tilio has only made two appearances thus far, with injuries holding him back.
Hearts – 2 players Nathaniel Atkinson (Australia), Kye Rowles (Australia)
Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson will both feature for Australia this month. The pair have made 42 appearances between them this season for Hearts.
Atkinson has been a key man since recovering from a long-term ankle problem, while Rowles had been a virtual ever-present before jetting off with the squad, missing out on the recent win over Livingston.
Hibernian – 2 players Martin Boyle (Australia) & Lewis Miller (Australia)
Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller are another Scottish Premiership pair who will feature for Australia out in Qatar.
These two will be massive misses for Hibs. Boyle has seven goals and three assists to his name already this season, whilst Miller has a respectable two goals and two assists from right-back.
Liverpool – 1 player Wataru Endo (Japan)
Wataru Endo will be joining Premier League counterpart Kaoru Mitoma in the Japanese camp this month.
The midfielder – Japan's captain – has established himself as a regular in recent games at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp turning to him as the man to protect the defence at the heart of the Liverpool midfield.
Of course, the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister can feature in defensive midfield in his place.
St Mirren – 1 player Kyle Baccus (Australia)
Kyle Baccus is another name representing Australia from the Scottish Premiership.
The central defender will be a huge miss for St Mirren, as he's been a regular at the heart of the defence. He's made 22 appearances and has even scored two and assisted once so far this term.
