MARK Hughes has warned Philippe Senderos he faces a fight for a Fulham starting spot.
The Swiss defender stepped up his recovery following six months out with an Achilles injury with a 60-minute run-out for the reserves yesterday.
The summer signing could be in line to feature in the Fulham squad for the first time against former club Everton next weekend.
But boss Hughes admits he will struggle to break up the pairing of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes in the heart of the backline.
He said: "We're playing great in terms of our defensive work. The central partnership we have of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes are playing exceptionally well.
"'Philippe's been out for along time and has had a few setbacks which have held him back. He's got a lot of experience of playing at a high level for a long time.
"He understands that you have to be professional, which he is, and when the opportunity comes I would have no qualms putting him in the team because of the experience and ability he has."
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