Benzema to find out if he will go to EURO 2016 by mid-April

Karim Benzema will know whether he will form part of the France squad for EURO 2016 before 15 April. That is what French Football Federation (FFF) Presdient Noël Le Graët confirmed yesterday: “We will discuss it with our legal advisors then make a decision before 15 April and any decision we take will be definitive”.

Le Graët's declarations come after French courts partially lifted the judicial order which has been hanging over the Real Madrid striker, which prevents him from having any contact with France team mate Mathieu Valbuena. Both players would be forced to coincide should they been called up for international duty by Didier Deschamps.

The FFF decribed the lifting of the court order as “the first step”, while Deschamps has been evasive when questioned about the matter, limiting his reponses to saying Benzema's return will arrive “when the moment comes”.