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Flamini earns possible France reprieve

02/06/2008

Midfielder Mathieu Flamini has been called up as an additional member of France's Euro 2008 squad to provide cover for team captain Patrick Vieira.

The combative Inter Milan star has been forced to sit out training with the squad recently because of a thigh injury, which has also forced head coach Raymond Domenech to err on the side of caution in relation to selecting him for the team's warm-up matches.

Flamini, who is due to sign for AC Milan when his Arsenal contract runs out at the end of the month, originally missed out on the 23-man selection for the tournament.

He was one of seven players named in the 30-man training squad to be cut by Domenech, with Marseilles striker Djibril Cisse among the others also missing out.

In addition to Vieira, Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra, Claude Makelele of Chelsea and Jeremy Toulalan of Lyon were all considered better options as holding midfielders than Flamini.

However, the 24-year-old may still earn a place at the tournament if Vieira, 31, is deemed short of the required match fitness.

A statement from the French Football Federation said: "In the midst of training Mathieu Flamini, who was part of the list of 30 players pre-selected for the final phase of Euro 2008, was recalled this morning by coach Raymond Domenech.

"He will rejoin the group of 23 Les Bleus players at [training camp in] Clairefontaine."

The squad travels to Switzerland this week, and Domenech has until June 8th at the latest to confirm the 23 players he wishes to have in his final squad for the duration of the tournament.