Lindelof was drafted into the starting eleven late on Tuesday night against Brighton after Raphael Varane dropped out of the team due to illness.
The Swede was solid in the back four as Manchester United kept a clean sheet and scored three points from a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Cole was pleased to see the defender back in the starting eleven and believes he is one of the best centre-backs in the Manchester United squad when he is playing with confidence.
He was unhappy to see the Swede short-changed after Varane arrived last summer and indicated that former Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have been more diligent.
The former striker is keen to see Lindelof get a run of games in the starting eleven to prove his actual worth.
Cole said on Premier League TV after the Brighton game: “It’s nice to see Victor back in the team.
“For me personally, I would like to see him given a run in the team.
“I think when he plays well and he has got confidence, he is as good as any of them.
“I don’t think he has been given the run that he deserves.
“When Ole was the manager and he brought in Varane, he left Victor out straightaway.
“You just can’t just make your mind up like I bought Maguire for £80m, so regardless of how he plays he is going to play.
“And then Varane, I bought him for £40m, you can’t do that.
“Sometimes, you have got to look at it and say right, if these are the best combination I am going to go with it.”
It remains to be seen whether Lindelof keeps his place in the team if Varane is fit to start against Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday.
