Which Premier League players will be in action at the Paris Olympics and when will they return? Manchester City without Copa America winner
The 2024 Olympics will once again feature football, with some Premier League clubs set to lose key players.
The Games only take place once every four years and, due to the age limit applied to the men's tournament, top-flight clubs tend not to suffer too much.
Only players born on or after 1 January 2001 will be allowed to play in Paris, and the Games only allow three exceptions per team.
That still means several Premier league Players will represent their nations in the Olympic Gamesmeaning they will almost certainly miss the start of the 2024/25 season.
Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at which Premier League clubs are set to lose players to the Games.
Which Premier League players will be in action at the Paris Olympics?
Julian Alvarez – Manchester City – Argentina
Of all the Premier League players called up to the Olympics, Alvarez It's the biggest name.
The versatile forward is a key player for club and country and has just helped Argentina win the America Cup.
But there is no rest for him as he heads straight to Paris to play in the 2024 Olympics.
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Julio Enciso- Brighton -Paraguay
Enciso barely played any football for Brighton last year due to a long-term knee injury.
However, that has not prevented his country from calling him up for the Olympic Games, just a few weeks after he also participated in the Copa América.
It's certainly a good opportunity for the 20-year-old Brighton sensation, but it's hard to imagine the Seagulls being too happy.
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Enso Gonzalez – Wolves -Paraguay
Gonzalez is a current member of Wolves' Under-21 squad, having joined last summer from Paraguay side Libertad.
He is a winger who can play anywhere and has made just one appearance for the Old Gold's first team.
But apart from that, he has yet to adapt to life in England and has so far failed to score a goal in any game for Wolves' Under-21s.
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Henry Gray- Ipswich – New Zealand
Gray is a young goalkeeper who was born in Germany but chose to represent the Kiwis.
He signed for the Tractor Boys last summer and spent the second half of last season on loan at National League South side Chelmsford.
Unsurprisingly, he has yet to make his debut for Ipswich's first team.
Jean-Philippe Mateta- crystal Palace – France
At the end of the 2023/24 Premier League season, there weren't many better strikers than Mateta in the division.
Under Oliver Glasner, the powerful striker has gained new momentum and has scored nine times in the last six games.
He will undoubtedly play a key role this year, but first he wants to win Olympic gold alongside his former Eagles friend Michael Olise on home soil.
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Alex Paulsen- Bournemouth – New Zealand
Paulsen is a 22-year-old goalkeeper who joined Bournemouth this summer from Wellington Phoenix.
He has a full call-up to the Kiwis and is likely to be their number one in Paris.
For the Cherries, he will likely provide competition for Neto.
Gabriel Slonina- Chelsea – USA
Slonina is one of Chelsea's young players and is on the US Olympic team.
The 20-year-old joined the Blues in August 2022 and has been on loan ever since.
He has not yet played for Chelsea's first team, so Enzo Maresca It's unlikely I'll miss him too much.
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Boubacar Traore – Wolves – Mali
Traoré is a 22-year-old who has yet to be capped for his country at senior level.
The defensive midfielder joined Wolves on a permanent basis last summer after an initial season-long loan deal.
He doesn't start many games for the Old Gold, but he is an important member of the team.
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Lesley Ugochukwu – Chelsea – France
Ugochukwu joined the Blues last summer from Rennes in a deal worth £23million.
But due to competition in midfield and some injuries, he was limited to just 12 Premier League appearances.
He will hope that this year will be better, although missing much of the pre-season for the Olympic Games does not seem like the perfect preparation.
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When will Premier League players return from the Olympics?
He Football at the Olympic Games It is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 24 and end on Saturday, August 10.
This comes just six days before the start of the top-flight campaign, meaning any top-flight player who pays at the Olympics has almost no chance of reaching the final. Opening weekendeven if they are eliminated earlier in the tournament.
There are some players, such as Alvarez and Enciso, who have not yet had a proper break, having gone from the Premier League to the Copa America and the Olympics.
FIFPro guidelines state that players should have four weeks off between seasons to rest and recover, which could mean City and Brighton are left without either until the end of September.
Meanwhile, the other players who have had holidays and have not participated in any international tournaments will probably return to their clubs a couple of weeks after the start of the season.
