Former Celtic winger Jota could make his first competitive start for Saudi club Al-Ittihad since moving to the club in the summer.

The Portuguese star moved to Saudi for a bumper £25miliion fee, but the transfer has not gone to plan due to manager Nuno Espirito Santo leaving the former Benfica man in cold storage.

Saudi Pro League rules state teams can only have eight foreign players in their ranks, and as a result Jota was moved down the pipeline and not named in the club's squad for league fixtures.

However, manager Santo has now confirmed that Jota will feature during the club's AFC Champions League tie against Al-Wahda on Monday.

Speaking to the Saudi Arabian press, Nuno revealed: "Jota will participate in tomorrow’s match, and he is the only player whose participation in the match I can reveal.

"We always try to find solutions to the difficulties we face. All the decisions of the technical staff are in the interest of the team, and through them we seek to develop the players, improve the team’s performance, and contribute to its optimal appearance.

"We have not prioritised one tournament over another. We are working to compete in all possible competitions through ideal preparation."

If Jota does feature, the fixture will be his first minutes since September 1 and if he does start it will be his first since moving to his new club.