DEAN Ryan has warned his Worcester Warriors squad nobody is guaranteed a place in the side.

The Warriors director of rugby says every area of the squad needs strengthening at Sixways to avoid annual fights against relegation from the Aviva Premiership.

He said: “We don’t want to be in this situation year after year. We have to lift the calibre of players who play for Worcester. That applies to every position.”

But Ryan admitted Warriors must “deal with the short-term challenges” of safeguarding their place in the top tier for next season.

Warriors are 10th in the division and have signed Leinster centre Ben Te’o and fellow centre Jackson Willison from Grenoble, the same French Top 14 side as former Warriors lock James Percival, for next season.

Bath lock Will Spencer has also agreed to sign for the club, while South African flanker Dewald Potgieter has penned a deal until the end of next season.

Now Warriors’ supporters are hoping livewire South African scrum-half Francois Hougaard will sign a new deal to remain at Sixways next term.

Ryan said: “The players here either respond to the challenge and we get more depth or we add to the quality and then another person comes in and takes over from them.

“That is just the reality of moving this squad into being a more competitive team. It will involve better players.

“You can see the difference of having someone of the pure quality of Francois. If some people like that are available and we can attract them, we will talk to them.”

Ryan added: “We’ve already got high-profile signings in terms of T’eo coming in, so next season is a very different picture.

“We have to deal with the short-term challenges we have got right now.”