British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has insisted that no player on the tour is guaranteed a start in their first Test against Australia next month.

The former Wales coach revealed his side to face the Barbarians in their tour opener in Hong Kong on Saturday, with the starting XV including nine Welshmen.

However, the 49-year-old is adamant that everyone has a chance of earning a starting berth when they face the Wallabies for the first time in late June.

"What we've always said is that everyone will get a start in the first three games, and we will look at certain combinations, mixing and matching a little bit," Gatland told Sky Sports News. "The great thing at the moment is there is a huge amount of competition within the squad.

"I think a lot of players feel that if they play well and put their hand up they've got a chance of being selected. The guys who go out on Saturday get their first opportunity to set a mark and put some pressure on the other players in the squad.

"In terms of the Test side, probably not until after the first four games will we actually even start thinking about that. I think it is important that these players feel like they've got a chance to go out and impress."

The Lions play six matches on the tour before their first Test encounter with Australia on June 22.