West Ham remain in the dark over whether the likes of Nayef Aguerd and Mohammed Kudus will be available to face Brighton next week before flying to the Africa Cup of Nations.
David Moyes’s side host the Seagulls at the London Stadium on January 2, with AFCON not starting until January 13 in the Ivory Coast.
However, players called up to their respective national squads will be expected to join up in advance of the group stage for pre-tournament training camps.
The Hammers could lose up to four players for the tournament, with Said Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet on the fringes of the Algeria and Ivory Coast squads, but it is the absences of Morocco’s Aguerd and, in particular, Ghana’s Kudus that Moyes will be desperate to keep to a minimum.
Speaking on Friday, however, the Scot admitted he is still unsure of when exactly his players will depart.
"I can't give you an answer on that,” he said. “We've not had confirmation on any of our African Nations players on their join-up dates, which is very unusual.
"Mo is a very important player so we're hoping there is a chance he could be available to face Brighton."
West Ham climbed back into the Premier League’s top six with victory over Arsenal on Thursday night and finish 2023 with their highest ever points tally at the midway stage of a Premier League season.
Moyes is concerned, however, by injuries to Kurt Zouma and Lucas Paqueta that have arrived at an awkward time alongside the imminent AFCON departures, with his squad depth set to be tested in the coming weeks.
The January transfer window will be open by the time the Irons face Brighton next week, but after successive summers of lucrative spending, Moyes suggested any new arrivals may be dependent on sales.
"We're always looking to try and bring into the squad and get better, but we might be looking to lose one or two players before we bring anyone in,” he added. "It will depend on the African Nations and injuries, which we have done very well on this season."
