AFCON 2017: Which Premier League players have returned and who are still in Gabon?

With the Africa Cup of Nations now at the quarter-final stage and a number of nations having exited the tournament, some Premier League clubs have welcomed back their players, but others will have to wait just a little bit longer to see their star men again.

Twenty-two players from 12 top-flight clubs left for Gabon earlier this month, with the three-week competition getting underway on January 14.

However, with the group stages coming to an end and the last-eight contests taking place this weekend, a number of Premier League players have now returned to their employers.

The likes of Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo and Egypt, though, are all in contention to lift the trophy on February 5, meaning there are plenty of top-flight teams waiting patiently for their prize assets to come back to England.

Here is a full list of just who has returned early and who is still going strong...

Going strong...

Senegal, backed by several Premier League players, became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals. Liverpool's Sadio Mane scored in both their opening win against Tunisia and their victory over Zimbabwe, although the forward was rested for his country's 2-2 draw with Algeria as they had already qualified.

Meanwhile, Everton's Idrissa Gueye, Stoke City's Mame Biram Diouf and West Ham United's Cheikhou Kouyate all started The Elephants' first two group games, before being rested for the clash against Algeria, with Gueye coming on as a 78th-minute substitute.

Also in Group B, Sunderland will have to make do without the services of Wahbi Khazri after Tunisia cruised into the last eight of the tournament, with the winger scoring during his nation's 4-2 victory over Zimbabwe in their final group encounter.

Ghana booked their place in the quarter-finals with victories over Uganda and then Mali, with West Ham's Andre Ayew netting from the penalty spot against the former, and like Leicester City's Daniel Amartey, the forward started all three of the Black Stars' group games.

Joining Ghana from Group D in the last eight are Egypt after they beat the former in their last group match, meaning Arsenal's Mohamed Elneny, Stoke's Ramadan Sobhi and Hull City's Ahmed Elmohamady will all be staying in Gabon until at least the weekend.

And the struggling Tigers will also be without Dieumerci Mbokani after DR Congo topped Group C, with the frontman having started his country's final two games against Ivory Coast and Togo.

Premier League players still at the AFCONS:

Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)

Everton: Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)

Hull City: Ahmed Elmohamady (Egypt), Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo)

Leicester City: Daniel Amartey (Ghana)

Liverpool: Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Stoke: Mame Biram Diouf (Senegal), Ramadan Sobhi (Egypt)

Sunderland: Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia)

West Ham: Andre Ayew (Ghana), Cheikou Kouyate (Senegal)

Coming home early...

Gabon's early exit is good news for Sunderland as summer signing Didier Ndong will be now be available to face Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night after playing all three group games for his country.

Leicester also have 2016 African Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani back sooner than expected as Algeria surprisingly crashed out at the group stages, with both players having netted braces in separate games for their country.

However, with three matches in just eight days, the duo are not expected to travel to Derby County for the Foxes' FA Cup fourth-round tie on Friday night, especially given club-record £29m signing Slimani is nursing a slight groin problem.

Elsewhere, despite playing in all three of their group matches, Adlene Guedioura was also unable to prevent The Desert Warriors' premature exit from the competition. And that means the midfielder will now be available for Watford's FA Cup clash at Millwall on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Wilfried Bony - on loan at Stoke from Man City - netted in Ivory Coast's 2-2 draw with DR Congo, but the forward is now on his way back to the Potteries after the holders lost to Morocco in their final group encounter to make a premature exit from the tournament.

And Bony, who could now feature against Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday, will be joined back in England by fellow Ivorians Eric Bailly and Wilfried Zaha - who both started all three group games - as well as Max Gradel and Lamine Kone.

Bailly, though, will not be back in time to play for Man Utd in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final at Hull City on Thursday night, manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed.

Live EFL Cup

Crystal Palace will have Zaha available for their Cup encounter at home to City on Saturday and Bournemouth can call upon Gradel when they host the Eagles in the league on Tuesday night.

However, despite Kone having also returned to Sunderland, the influential centre back may not start the strugglers' Premier League clash with Spurs next week after not featuring at all for his country at AFCON due to injury.

And finally, Palace will also be able to call upon Bakary Sako, who began Mali's first two Group D contests, although the forward could not prevent The Eagles from exiting the tournament after finishing only third in the section.

Premier League players having departed the AFCONS:

Bournemouth: Max Gradel (Ivory Coast)

Crystal Palace: Bakary Sako (Mali), Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)

Leicester City: Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani (Algeria)

Manchester United: Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)

Stoke: Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast)

Sunderland: Lamine Kone (Ivory Coast), Didier Ndong (Gabon)

Watford: Adlene Guedioura (Algeria)