Mathieu Debuchy told he can leave Arsenal after playing just 16 minutes

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told Mathieu Debuchy that he can look for a new club after playing just 16 minutes of Premier League football this season.

Since joining the Gunners from Newcastle United in 2014, injuries have hampered the Frenchman's progress at the Emirates.

As a result, Hector Bellerin has emerged as first choice at right-back, therefore pushing Debuchy down the pecking order.

The 31-year-old, who spent half of last season on loan at Bordeaux, is due to return to training after recovering from a hamstring injury, but his long-term future at Arsenal is uncertain.

"I didn't close the door because there's a lot of competition on the right flank," The Mirror quotes Wenger as saying. "Now Gabriel has been convincing on the right side as well, so I don't close the door.

"What I just want to say is [Debuchy] is fully fit now and so he is available to play and maybe even to have an experience somewhere else."

In December, Wenger accused the right-back of lying when he claimed that Arsenal blocked a summer transfer for him.

The former Lille player also claimed that he and his manager had barely spoken for almost a year.