Andros Townsend insists Everton teammate James Rodriguez can still be valuable for manager Rafa Benitez.

The winger is confident James can work his way back into Benitez's plans.

"He's a fantastic player," Townsend told the Daily Mail.

"Everyone knows what James can do. I've had the pleasure of playing with him in the pre-season games. He's still at the club and he's fully focused.

"He's trained really hard during the international break as we all have and we're all looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this season. James is no different.

"I'm sure when the time is right, when the manager feels… he'll be reintegrated back into the squad and back into the team."