Lille coach Rudi Garcia has warned on-loan Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole he has no guaranteed start.
Garcia is under no illusion that injury-plagued Cole has to prove his worth at his new club and settle in quickly.
"The question is on (an) athletic level. I believe he only played 90 minutes once during the last eight months. What I like is the fact the last season was difficult for him. It is always good to have a player with very big desire," he told French newspaper L'Equipe.
"His arrival allowed us to change our tactics system. I didn't promise him anything about his time in the team. It is not my habit. The best will play. It is up to him to go back to work quickly."
