Cole: We'll be ready for Arsenal

Joe Cole is confident Liverpool will be ready for the start of the Premier League season despite tasting defeat on his debut for the club.

Cole played 65 minutes as Roy Hodgson's side continued their testing pre-season programme with a 1-0 defeat against Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany yesterday.

It was the 28-year-old's first appearance in a red shirt since his arrival on a free transfer last month having been released by Chelsea.

Although Cole was joined by returning England colleagues Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson, the quartet were understandably rusty as Liverpool produced another unconvincing attacking performance.

Hodgson will bring together his full squad for the first time today with the return of World Cup finalists Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel to Melwood.

With just 13 days until the visit of Arsenal on August 15 and Thursday's Europa League return against FK Rabotnicki their final warm-up fixture, Hodgson has already warned his team is ill prepared for their domestic opener.

But Cole has dismissed such fears, and said: "We have looked solid in all the pre-season games and we can build on that. We lost the game but the young lads who were playing got good experience.

"Nobody is firing on all cylinders yet but there were some good moments and the main thing we will take out of it is the shape of the team and the organisation, which was good.

"We will be ready for the Arsenal game. It's been a challenging pre-season but it's the same for everyone."

Of his debut, Cole added: "It was lovely to pull on a red shirt. I really enjoyed it. I'm glad I got a run-out because I needed to get the legs going."

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