MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Manchester City forward Robinho is joining Brazilian club Santos on a six-month loan in a bid to revive his form ahead of the World Cup.

The Brazil international has been worried that his lack of regular playing time at City could affect his chances of making the team at South Africa 2010.

"Robinho is someone who needs to be playing regularly and we wish him well for the period of his loan," City manager Roberto Mancini said yesterday.

Until Robinho's scheduled return to City on August 4, the Premier League club said that Santos "will assume all of the player's contract terms, including wages and bonuses".

The 26-year-old Robinho, who will fly to Brazil on Sunday, reached stardom while playing for Santos, Pele's former club, where he won two national titles. He joined Real Madrid in 2005.

Robinho left in 2008 to join City for a British-record fee of £32.5 million (US$58 million), becoming the first signing following Sheikh Mansour's takeover.