Who scheduled the African Cup of Nations?

So we are back with the first newsletter in 2012. Two of our leagues are still ongoing; the Primera Division and the Premier League and we have upcoming rounds this weekend. The big change is though the upcoming African Cup of Nations. A regional tournament with the permissions of FIFA to take away players for their national teams.

The scheduling of the tournament, right where the best clubs plays their most important matches, can seem a bit ridiculous. Clubs paying their players a monthly salary in which they spend their work power on another team and tournament. This leads to a number of missing players the upcoming rounds – players that will play the final will miss their home leagues for over a month(!).

English Premier League
Those players include many from the Premier League; Q.P.R.: Adel Taarabt, Armand Traore Chelsea: Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba, Manchester City: Yaya Toure, Habib Kolo Toure, Arsenal: Gervinho, Newcastle United: Cheick Tioté, Demba Ba, Wigan Athletic: Mohamed Diame.

Alongside with the missing brothers for Manchester City, they must play without another key player, Vincent Kompany, who is ruled out of two Premier League games due to his suspension.

Spanish Primera Division
In Real Madrid are we now again witnesses to another injury of Sami Khedira, who suffers from an ankle sprain and is doubtful to play against Barcelona next wednesday. On the other hand, there is only one striker remaining in the yellow submarine team, Villarreal, after the muscle tear injury of Javier Camuñas. In Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita has already been called back to the squad by manager Unai Emery to sit on the bench of the Copa del Rey match against Sevilla, since the rest of goalkeepers of Valencia B are injured too. Vicente Guaita suffers from a wrist injury and is not expected to be back until late January.