Tottenham duo could miss 10 matches after controversial FIFA decision

could be without two of their key players for a lengthy spell next season.

are currently enduring a difficult campaign in the but still have the chance to win a major trophy via the Europa League. Victory in Europe this term would see side qualify for the , regardless of where they finish in the top flight standings.

It remains to be seen what exact competitions will be playing in next season, in terms of Europe, at least, but there will still be 38 Premier League fixtures and at least two domestic cup matches across the and .

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Spurs will need every member of their squad for the next campaign but will be without at least two for an extended spell next winter. Later this year will see the Africa Cup of Nations take place in the middle of the Premier League season.

The tournament will be held in Morocco and begin on December 21 before coming to a close on January 18. AFCON was originally scheduled to be played in the summer of 2025.

However, due to the new format of the Club World Cup by FIFA taking place this summer instead, the tournament has been pushed back to the middle of next season. During this time, Spurs could be without two key players for up to a month.

could be part of the Mali squad that features in the tournament, while will hope to feature for Senegal. Both Mali and Senegal have qualified for the tournament, meaning Bissouma and Sarr could be in line to leave the Spurs camp to link up with their national teams next season.

If the duo are selected by their respective countries, they could miss several important matches for . The full schedule for the 2025/26 season is yet to be announced, but Bissouma and Sarr could miss up to six top-flight matches if the fixture list follows the same pattern as this term.

There would also be the guarantee of missing the third-round tie, which will be played in early January next year.

If Tottenham were to reach the semi-final, as they did this season, Bissouma and Sarr could also play both legs of the semi-final based on this season's schedule.

It may also be possible that the duo would not be available for the quarter-final, which was played on December 19 this term.

Plus, if Tottenham were to qualify for next season's , they could be without Bissouma and Sarr for one important fixture.

The seventh match of the league phase of the tournament is pencilled in to be played across January 20 and 21 next season, meaning if Mali and Senegal were to both reach the AFCON final, then the Spurs duo would likely be unavailable for the fixt