Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal could all lose star players such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez due to the intercontinental World Cup playoff in November.
One of Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Ecuador will finish fifth in the CONMEBOL table, meaning a tie against New Zealand for a place at the World Cup in Russia.
The first leg of the playoff has already been set for Monday, Nov. 6 in Wellington, earlier than the usual fixture date for the international break as nations are given a longer gap before the return due to increased travel and recovery between continents.