Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he expects Diogo Jota to be available when the Reds take on Chelsea on Thursday evening.

The Portuguese international felt unwell before the 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Sunday night, and assessing the forward’s chances of playing later this week, Klopp said:

“With Diogo, he was with us in the hotel, but he got sick overnight and we had to send him home. It depends how quick he will recover, obviously. He was in the squad and as I said before, he trained with the team and it all looked really good but unfortunately, he got sick overnight. I think he will be available, but I don’t know.”

It is highly unlikely that Jota will be able to start versus Chelsea, even if he does recover from illness to be involved. The 24-year-old’s last match was against FC Midtjylland two and a half months ago.

The player has been back in full training for five days but his lack of match sharpness means a place on the bench is the best that Liverpool supporters can hope for at Anfield later this week.

A cameo from Jota as a substitute could still prove useful, though, especially if the Reds are in need of a goal in the latter stages of the game.