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Paris - Should Joe Cole make it onto the field in Lille's game at Saint-Etienne on Saturday, he will become the first England international to play in the French top flight for almost 20 years.
The 1991/1992 campaign was the last time an England player graced Ligue 1, with Chris Waddle and Trevor Steven contributing to Marseille's title success while Graham Rix turned out for Le Havre.
The strength of the Premier League means English players opting to ply their trade overseas have become a rare sight, but Cole says he has long held an ambition to play abroad and will "throw everything into it".
"I'm looking forward to it. I've only played one 90 minutes in nine months. I've done a full pre-season but to get to your best, you need games," he said in an interview with British radio station talkSPORT.
"I'm ready to go. If the manager lets me off the leash, I'm ready. I just need a run of five or 10 games and I'll be back to my best."
Cole has vowed to learn French and his new team-mate Franck Beria says the 29-year-old, who has 56 England caps, has made a strong impression in training since completing his loan move from Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
"He's someone who works very hard, who's very professional and who's integrating very quickly," said Beria at a press conference this week.
"He's a hungry player, who really wants to re-launch his career. He'll bring us a huge amount."
Coach Rudi Garcia has praised Cole's "Latin" qualities, but with Lille's midfielders having impressed in the 3-2 defeat of Marseille in their last outing, the former Chelsea man may start on the bench.
Garcia said Thursday that Cole could feature at some point against Saint-Etienne.
"Joe did a full pre-season with Liverpool, which is pretty good but he is going to be lacking in match fitness," Garcia noted, without saying if he might start.
The Marseille victory elevated Lille to seventh in the early-season standings, two points shy of leaders Montpellier, but Marseille are just a point above the relegation zone and without a win in four matches.
Didier Deschamps' side host Rennes on Saturday, the first fixture in a testing month that features league games against Lyon, Evian and Valenciennes, as well as Champions League matches with Olympiakos and Borussia Dortmund.
Marseille's title defence last season was fatally undermined by a start to the campaign that saw them record just one win in their first five matches, but they find themselves in just as precarious a position 12 months on.
The mood at Stade Velodrome was worsened by the farcical events of deadline day, when unwanted striker Andre-Pierre Gignac returned to the club with his tail between his legs after failing to engineer a loan move to Fulham.
Marseille's public pursuit of Juventus striker Amauri also broke down, but Gignac promised this week that he would prove the club were wrong to try to get shot of him.
"When your pride and ego are hurt, you come back 10 times stronger," he said. "I'm going to move my backside to show that I can be the striker they're looking for."
Paris Saint-Germain, third after an impressive 3-1 win at Toulouse in their last game, host Brest on Sunday and could hand a debut to new signing Diego Lugano after his deadline-day switch from Fenerbahce.
"It's still too early to say whether I'll get a run-out against Brest on Sunday," said the 30-year-old Uruguay captain.
I'm at the coach's disposal and I'm working hard every day to be ready."
Montpellier could have been deposed at the summit by the time they host Nice on Sunday, as victory for second-placed Lyon at Dijon on Saturday will send Remi Garde's in-form side top.
