Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed the reasons for sending Andrey Arshavin to Zenit St Petersburg on loan.

The 30-year old Russian international is back at his former club for the remainder of the season after making 11 substitute appearances for a total of 19 Premier League outings so far this campaign.

Wenger indicated that Arshavin would be back at Arsenal and said it was important for a player of his caliber to play regularly in order to get some much-needed confidence back into his game.

"First of all, things have not ended because he is still our player, he is only out on loan," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.

"I just felt he needed to play. When you are 30 and you do not play regularly, you drop your form and when you come on every time you have to produce something special.

"At that age it is very difficult. I felt he just needed a bit of confidence to play again."

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