Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny will link up with Didier Deschamps’ squad for the friendly against Germany to be played at the Stade de France and away to England to be played at Wembley.

Matthieu Debuchy misses out due to his lack of playing time with Bacary Sagna and Christophe Jallet selected at right-back.

Giroud will be fighting for a place up front with Anthony Martial from Manchester United, Coman from FC Bayern, Gignac of Tigres.

Giroud’s place in the squad has also been cemented by Benzema’s failure to make the squad despite being Deschamps first choice at centre forward.  Valbuena also did not make the squad for the first time under Deschamps.

Benzema has been placed under formal judicial investigation in connection with a blackmail attempt on France team-mate Valbuena.

A statement from the Versailles prosecutor said the alleged crime of conspiracy to blackmail and participating in a criminal group for which he was being investigated could carry a prison sentence of at least five years.

Benzema was also placed under judicial supervision, meaning he cannot meet with the victim or other people charged in the case.

One person from Valbuena’s entourage allegedly got hold of a sextape involving the player and his girlfriend; the sextape being ironically referred to as the “dwarf sextape” on social media in France. He allegedly enrolled two other people who tried to blackmail the player. Valbuena did not agree to pay and spoke to the Police who started an investigation.

In the meantime, the three bandits allegedly tried to get some help from an old friend of Benzema, who contacted the player and asked him to speak to Valbuena. It is alledged that a conversation happened between the players during a France training camp on the sextape subject and police will now try to establish the facts.

Either Benzema actually advised Valbuena, during the conversation, to pay the ransom or he told him not to which is what the Real Madrid man claims.

Arsenal certainly dodged a bullet by not signing the centre forward last Summer, when Real Madrid refused to sell the Frenchman given the trouble he now finds himself in.