Tottenham must offload two midfielders by December 15 — including one who featured against Newcastle.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr are set to join their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on December 21. Both midfielders will miss at least three Tottenham matches and could be absent for up to seven if Mali or Senegal reach the final on January 18.

It has now been confirmed when the pair will travel to Morocco for the tournament. Even though Mali’s first game is scheduled for December 22 and Senegal’s for December 23, both players must depart earlier. According to Fabrizio Romano, FIFA has ruled that all AFCON participants must be released by their clubs no later than Monday, December 15, and will intervene if any disputes arise over release dates.

Bissouma is still recovering from a knee injury, so his participation in the tournament remains uncertain. Sarr, however, is expected to be a significant loss for Spurs. If he leaves on December 15, he will miss the following fixtures:

December 20: Liverpool (H)
December 27: Crystal Palace (A)
December 30: Brentford (A)

Should Senegal advance deep into the competition, Sarr could also be absent for Tottenham’s matches against Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham, and Borussia Dortmund.