Karim Benzema's chances of playing at Euro 2016 received a major boost when it was revealed he is allowed to make contact with French teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
The Real Madrid striker has been suspended from international football since December for his role in a blackmail case involving Valbuena. Benzema is due to face trial over the alleged blackmail and if found guilty, could be imprisoned for at least five years.
Valbuena and Benzema have played together for France since 2010. Picture by: David Vincent / AP/Press Association Images
As part of Benzema's case, the striker was not allowed make contact with Valbuena. The restriction of contact meant that the two players could not be in the same French squad.
The news will come as a boost to Benzema in the hope of making the French squad ahead of their home tournament. The 28-year-old has scored 27-times for France and his goals will be seen as crucial to Didier Deschamps' side winning the tournament for the first time since 2000.
France play four warm-up games ahead of the tournament, starting later this month with two games in five days against the Netherlands and Russia. The hosts open their Euro 2016 campaign on June 10th against Romania in the Stade de France.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
