Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye could miss nine Everton games after controversial FIFA decision

The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament could see Everton without Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye for a substantial amount of matches

Everton find themselves in a rare position. With Premier League safety effectively secured so early in spring, David Moyes can start planning in earnest for next season.

The bulk of that focus will no doubt be on contracts and transfers. The Blues are facing a potentially huge squad overhaul in the coming months, with a number of players out of contract going into the summer. There is also hope that after years of extreme caution in the market that Moyes can bolster his squad with some quality additions.

One player who is yet to have his future resolved is Idrissa Gana Gueye. The veteran midfielder has been superb for the Blues throughout the season and the hope among the majority of the fanbase is that he will sign up for another year at least.

The player himself has made it clear he is keen to stick around. "I'm not in a rush to decide about my future," he said earlier this month. "I would love to continue at this place I call home, but that's not only my decision to make."

One of the few squad members who could run Gueye close as Everton's standout player this season is his compatriot Iliman Ndiaye. The Senegal international has netted nine goals in his debut season with the Blues and has lit up Goodison Park at times with his skills and swagger.

In an ideal world you suspect Moyes would love to have both as pillars of the team in the first season at Bramley-Moore Dock. But he will likely have to plan for a significant part of the campaign without both due to their international commitments.

That’s because the Africa Cup of Nations takes place in the middle of next season. The tournament has been pushed back from the summer of 2025 due to the inaugural edition of FIFA's controversial Club World Cup in the United States in June and July.

A mid-season slot has been common for AFCON in the past, although the upcoming edition will be played earlier than it has been typically. It will get underway on December 21 in Morocco and run until January 18, meaning players involved will miss the entire festive schedule.

While the Premier League matches for next season have not yet been confirmed, using the current campaign as a template there were six Everton matches played within that timeframe - five in the league and one in the FA Cup - while another took place a day later on January 19.

Senegal are among the favourites for the competition and if they were to reach the final of it, then it means Moyes could potentially be without two of his most important players for those seven games as a minimum.

Additionally, if Everton were to go far in the Carabao Cup next season, the first legs of the two semi-final ties were played on January 7 and 8. The quarter-finals of the competition were also played on December 17 and 18 this season, which would potentially be problematic with players joining up with their squads ahead of the tournament.

Senegal's first match is scheduled for December 23 against Botswana before they face DR Congo and Benin on the 27th and 30th respectively.

The round-of-16 is scheduled to take place between January 3-6 with the quarter-finals following on January 9-10. Both semi-finals will take place on January 14 ahead of the third place play-off on January 17, with the final then in Rabat on January 18.

Everton will have a better idea of how the tournament will impact them when the Premier League fixtures for next season are announced on June 18.