Fulham boss Mark Hughes has warned Bobby Zamora he will have to fight for his place when he returns to full fitness.
The England striker is stepping up his recovery from a broken leg which has kept him sidelined for the past five months.
Mousa Dembele and Andy Johnson have been in impressive form in his absence, while Diomansy Kamara and Gael Kakuta are waiting in the wings.
And Hughes has told Zamora he will have to bide his time when he returns to the first-team fold later this month.
"Bobby was a success last year and a focal point of the team," he said.
"We have also been missing Mousa Dembele as well for half of the Premier League games.
"AJ is playing really well at the moment, and I knew once we got them back that would help us get the cutting edge we lacked.
"Bobby understands the squad is performing now and you want to see competition for places at the football club.
"We are getting that now in every position, which is what you need for a healthy club, and Bobby knows that he will have to work hard to get back in the side."