Arsene Wenger has revealed how he scrapped the exit strategy drawn up for Francis Coquelin after a rapid mid-season transformation by the French midfielder. In less than three months, Coquelin has gone from an Arsenal outcast on loan at Charlton to a player of such vital importance that he has been equipped with a protective mask which will enable him to play despite a broken nose against Queen's Park Rangers on Wednesday. 'It has been a surprise to everybody,' said Wenger. 'I told him at the start of the season to give absolutely everything until Christmas and then we would sit down together and see where we were. Francis Coquelin stretches prior to Arsenal's training session ahead of their match against QPR . Coquelin almost went on loan to QPR at the beginning of the season but the deal collapsed late on . 'In myself, I thought if he doesn't play at all until Christmas, there was only six months contract to go and I would let him go somewhere else. You let the boy go. You don't leave him completely out of the squad for six more months.' Coquelin almost joined QPR in August but a proposed one-year loan collapsed on deadline day and two months later he was loaned to Charlton in the Championship, only to be recalled early because Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini were struggling with injuries and poor form. 'He wasn't happy when I called him back,' said Wenger. 'He thought I had just called him back as cover.' Coquelin made his first Arsenal start for nearly two years at West Ham on December 28 and has been ever-present in the Barclays Premier League since. Last month, the 23-year-old signed a new contract tying him to Arsenal until 2018. Coquelin has gone from being a reserve to a player that may be encouraged to play even though he's injured . Arsene Wenger admitted he had expected to release Coquelin at the end of the season . Wenger is criticised for his loyalty and patience with developing players, but this is a triumph for that policy and a reminder that some players take longer than others to mature. 'He has analysed well what he is good at,' said Wenger. 'Defending in midfield. He was in between the playmaking position and the box-to-box player and he is not that. He is a sitting player who can win the ball. 'He has restricted his game to that and you make success in life with what you're good at. You don't have all the qualities but you have to express what you're good at and he's good at that. I think he can do that job. He is doing it now. 'He is respectful, focused and open. He has a strong personality, he speaks his mind but doesn't complain. Let's not forget, he has been world champion with the Under 21s. But you have to climb from a youth prospect to a regular player in a top team and that's not easy. He's doing it now.' Coquelin broke his nose against Everton on Sunday but trained on Tuesday and has the mask ready if required at Loftus Road. Coquelin's stint in the first team has earned him a new long-term contract with the Gunners . The Frenchman midfielder has propelled himself above compatriot Mathieu Flamini in the pecking order . 'He knows it's an opportunity for him,' said Wenger. 'Sometimes when you wait for such a long time to get your chance and you get it, the more you have suffered, the more you enjoy it. The human being is a strange animal. 'He has gone through a lot of doubt, questioning himself, at many times being discouraged that he doesn't get a chance. Now that he has a chance he doesn't want to let it slip away. He is a winner and he wants to win. That's why he is so committed.' Arteta, despite nagging injury problems, will extend his contract for one more year and Flamini has another year on his deal, while Arsenal remain linked with Lars Bender, Christoph Kramer and Morgan Schneiderlin. 'You cannot want to play at a big club and have no competition,' said Wenger. 'It's impossible. Competition is part of our job.'
Francis Coquelin recently signed a new contract with Arsenal . But Arsene Wenger admitted he had planned to release him in the summer . Coquelin was brought back from his loan at Charlton due to injuries . Since then, Coquelin has cemented his place in the first team .