Jonathan is back!

Defender Jonathan Mensah in action tonight

Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah will return to action for French second tier side Evian on Friday night after a four-month absence as he has been named in the squad to face Valenciennes in their league game.

The centre-back is now free to play competitive football after serving a four-month ban slapped on him by football’s world governing body FIFA.

The France-based player ended the ban last week Monday, making him available both his club Evian and the Ghana national team.

Evian have responded by naming him among the 17 players called to camp for the match between the former two top-flight clubs and Mensah is expected to start the match at 8pm France time.

The Black Stars player centre-back was handed the four-month ban in April over his transfer move to Evian Thonon Gaillard in 2011.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the matter in favour of Mensah’s former club Udinese who claimed the player was poached by French club Evian without the necessary transfer clearance.

The Ghana defender joined Evian as a free agent but investigations by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) revealed that Mensah’s contract with Udinese by then had not run out.

Mensah was suspended from football for four months starting on April 29, 2015 but the summer break halted the suspension.

The suspension resumed in late August when the new season started and with two months already in, Mensah has ended the ban.

Evian were fined €1 million which was paid as compensation to Udinese and a possible two years ban from the transfer market.

Mensah’s Evian were relegated from the French Ligue 1 at the end of last season and he will play in the second tier but is likely to leave in the winter transfer season with several top-flight clubs keen on him.

Evian coach Safet Susic named the centre-back in the squad of 17 players for the game at Annecy Sports Park.

Squad of Evian: Leroy Durand – Abdallah, Appindangoye, Betão, Mensah, Soares, Angoula, Centonze, Sorlin, Kamin, Hoggas, N’Gakoutou, Campanharo, Keita, Bruno Barbosa.