Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has challenged Nicklas Bendtner to make the most of his surprise return to the Emirates this summer.

Bendtner turned down the opportunity to join Eintracht Frankfurt during the close season, while negotiations with a whole host of clubs including Malaga, Hull City and Crystal Palace also fell through.

Wenger opted to keep Bendtner as the transfer window slammed shut, with his striking options limited by a long-term injury to Lukas Podolski.

With the Danish forward close to full fitness, Wenger has insisted that he will have no hesitation in using Bendnter this season.

He told The Mirror: "Bendtner is a good striker. It is a fantastic opportunity for him. Everybody thought about strikers. Honestly, he was supposed to go, but he stayed and once he stays you have to consider him as a full player of the squad.

"If he deserves to play in front of Olivier Giroud, he plays in front of Giroud. That is as simple as that. He lost his way a little bit, but he is not a bad boy.

"He is a good guy. He took the easy way a little bit, but now he realises there are some [signals] in your career when players think that is the moment for them. He has got the message. He has good self-esteem."

The 25-year-old is expected to feature for this time this season in midweek, when Arsenal face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in a League Cup tie.