Soccer-Palace boss Warnock worried about Jedinak absence

By Mike Collett LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup are not taking place until the New Year, but Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has already said his captain Mile Jedinak will be badly missed when the Asian championship kicks off in January. Jedinak, 30, is also captain of Australia who are hosting the Asian Cup for the first time between Jan. 9-31. He is one of a host of international players who could be missing in the New Year with the African championship taking place in Morocco from Jan. 17-Feb. 8. Jedinak was an ever-present in Palace's Premier League campaign last season and the midfielder has made an important contribution this season, scoring in Palace's 3-2 win at Everton and the 2-0 victory over Leicester City. He will be trying to help Australia win the continental title for the first time since they switched from the Oceania confederation to Asia in 2006. "We will miss him," Warnock said before Palace face Hull City this weekend. "He is the leader of the camp. Everything on and off the field revolves around him. "There is the Africa Cup of Nations at about the same time, too, so it will be difficult for a lot of teams in the Premier League in January and February." Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure of Manchester City, Senegal's Sadio Mane of Southampton, Mame Biram Diouf of Stoke and Emmanuel Adebayor of Tottenham Hotspur are among other Premier League players who could be in Morocco. The qualifying competition ends in November when clubs will have a clearer picture of which players they will be losing. (Reporting by Mike Collett, editing by Ed Osmond)