The Africa Cup of Nations starts next week, with a strong Albion flavour.

They have three players involved in the 24-team tournament.

Who are they, what are their chances of success and how will it affect their chances of making an early impression on new head coach Graham Potter?

Andy Naylor reports.

When and where is the Africa Cup of Nations?

It takes place in Egypt at six venues from June 21 to July 19.

The original start date of June 15 was changed due to Ramadan.

The tournament, the biggest of its kind with the inclusion of eight more countries, has been switched to the summer for the first time, instead of January/February.

Egypt stepped in when organisers pulled the plug on Cameroon as hosts, due to organisation difficulties.

What is the format?

Countries are divided into six groups of four.

The top two from each group and the teams with the best four records among the third place finishers qualify for the last 16.

Which Albion players are involved?

Gaetan Bong (Cameroon), Leon Balogun (Nigeria) and Percy Tau (South Africa).

What about Yves Bissouma?

He had to withdraw from the Mali squad because of shoulder surgery.

What about other Premier League clubs?

Lots of big names feature. They include Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast) , Naby Keita (Guinea), Sadio Mane (second favourites Senegal), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) and Mo Salah in the opening game for favourites and 2017 runners-up Egypt against Zimbabwe in Cairo.

Bong has made an international comeback?

Yes. The former World Cup left-back ended a self-imposed exile once Dutchman Clarence Seedorf took charge.

Bong shook hands with Neymar (below) when captaining Cameroon against Brazil in a friendly at MK Dons last year.

The Argus: He made 19 starts and three sub appearances in the Premier League last season - exactly the same number as rival Bernardo - to earn another new contract, keeping the 31-year-old at the Amex for a fifth season.

How has Balogun fared?

It has been a tough debut year for club and country for the central defender, signed from Bundesliga outfit Mainz as cover for Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy, since Nigeria nearly knocked Argentina out of the group stages of last summer's World Cup in Russia.

He has been limited to eight Premier League appearances for Albion and faces a fight to oust Kenneth Omeruo or William Troost-Ekong from Gernot Rohr's Super Eagles starting line-up.

Balogun (below) is 31 later this month and would like more regular football. His future at the Amex is uncertain, with Portsmouth's Matt Clarke a transfer target.

The Argus:

Will we ever see Tau in an Albion shirt?

It is hard to tell. Since moving from from Mamelodi Sundowns last summer, the versatile 25-year-old attacker has starred for Union St Gilloise, the Belgian second tier club of Albion owner-chairman Tony Bloom.

That is due to work permit issues, exacerbated by South Africa's low ranking with FIFA.

Named player of the season in Belgium, Tau will stay there this year or play somewhere else in Europe.

What are Cameroon's chances?

The holders are 14-1 shots with bookmakers.

They are in group F with Ghana, Benin and Guinea-Bissau and should qualify.

What about Nigeria?

They are more fancied at around 8-1.

Winners in 2013, they eased through qualifying and should follow suit in Group B against Guinea and two tournament debutants, Madagascar and Burundi skippered by sacked Stoke striker Saido Berahino.

And South Africa?

They are 33-1 outsiders and pinning a lot of hopes on Tau after finishing runners-up to Nigeria in qualifying.

Group D looks tough against fourth favourites Ivory Coast, sixth favourites Morocco and Namibia.

How much of Potter's first pre-season in charge could Bong and Balogun miss?

Barring surprise group exits, they are unlikely to play a part in the week-long training camp and first friendly in Austria.

They may not be back for Crawley (July 19), Fulham (July 20) or Birmingham (July 27) either, depending on how far they progress and whether Potter grants them extra time off to recover.

Will VAR be used?

Yes but, controversially, only from from the quarter-final stage.

How can you keep in touch with the tournament?

Live on Eurosport and via the Eurosport Player streaming service.

Outside the UK on the BeIN Sports Network and streaming on the BeIN Connect online service.

And, of course, in The Argus and on The Argus website.