Francis Coquelin has made 21 Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season. Stuart MacFarlane/Getty Images

French midfielder Francis Coquelin has confirmed he did not want to return to Arsenal following a successful loan spell at Charlton at the start of this season, yet he is now on course to finish the campaign as a starter in next Saturday's FA Cup final.

Coquelin impressed during at the Championship side in the first half of this campaign before he returned to his parent club, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger offering him no assurances that he would be given a place in his first team line-up.

Yet Coquelin took his chance with a fine performance in Arsenal's 2-1 win at West Ham on December 28 and he has since emerged as one of the big success stories of the Gunners' season.

"It was true that I wasn't happy when I came back," Coquelin told Sunday newspaper reporters. "I was playing regularly even if it was in the Championship and obviously to be on the bench, I was a bit frustrated. The chance came against West Ham and I ready for it.

"The manager said to me that I didn't look happy when I came back. I said 'yeah, it's true' because I was playing regularly and then I was back on the bench and then I started the West Ham game when I didn't expect it.

"We were sixth at the time. West Ham were fifth, so it was a massive game. I thought he's not going to play me and he plays me. It shows in football you really need to be ready at any time.