The Leicester City centre-back Yohan Benalouane could face England in the World Cup after declaring his readiness to play for Tunisia.

Gareth Southgate’s team will open their World Cup campaign against the north African country in Volgograd on 18 June.

Benalouane, born in France to a Tunisian father, has been courted by the Tunisian Football Federation for several years but has felt unable to make himself available until now. The 30-year-old is aware he may be accused of opportunism but has explained that family commitments have previously prevented him from adding international football to his club duty.

100 days to the World Cup: how is Russia 2018 shaping up? Read more

Following a renewed approach from the TFF this month, the player said his circumstances were now such that he could play if picked. He is expected to be named in Tunisia’s squad for the friendly matches against Iran and Costa Rica.

Benalouane has not made a Premier League appearance for Leicester this season but has featured in every tie in the club’s run to the sixth round of the FA Cup. If fielded by Tunisia he will get a chance to stake a claim in a squad that the manager, Nabil Maâloul, is eager to strengthen before the World Cup. The other players competing for a starting place in central defence include Aymen Abdennour (Marseille), Syam Ben Youssef (Kasimpasa), Dylan Bronn (Gent) and Yassine Meriah (Sfaxien)

Tunisia, since qualifying for the tournament as unbeaten winners of a group featuring the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya and Guinea, have renewed their efforts to attract Europe-born players with dual nationality and have met with considerable success, with recruits including Mouez Hassen, a former France youth international goalkeeper on loan from Nice to Châteauroux, the midfielder Ellyes Skhiri of Montpellier and another midfielder, Saîf-Eddine Khaoui, who is enjoying a productive season at Troyes on loan from Marseille.

Meanwhile Benalouane’s club-mate Riyad Mahrez has refused to rule out a move in the summer but said he was happy at Leicester. Mahrez did not train for 10 days and missed two matches after a proposed transfer to Manchester City collapsed in January.

Asked what would happen when the transfer window opened, Mahrez told Sky Sports News: “I don’t want to want to talk about this, because first it will bring more rumours and more talk, and second we are very far away from this transfer window. My mind, focus is on Leicester – that’s all I’m focused on.

“In football players come, players leave. I’m not saying: ‘I’m going to leave, I’m going to go.’ Everything is very good. We will see in the summer if something comes, but at the moment I’m a Leicester City player and I’m good here.”

Mahrez was questioned on whether he had any regrets about how he handled the situation and said: “You always have regrets but at the time I thought it was the best thing to do. I have always been in contact with the club. The club handled it very well.”