Diogo Jota out to equal Kenny Dalglish record in EFL Cup final

Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota will be out to equal a club record set by Kenny Dalglish should he play in Sunday's EFL Cup final against Chelsea.

The Portuguese is stepping up his recovery from an ankle injury, and Pep Lijnders has confirmed that he has a chance of being available for the Wembley encounter.

Jota will likely only be able to feature as a substitute in the final if he is passed fit, but he has already netted in the quarter-final against Leicester City and semi-final against Arsenal this season.

Should the 25-year-old play and score against the Blues on Sunday, he will become just the second-ever Liverpool player to score in the final three stages of a competition in one season.

Dalglish previously did so in the 1980-81 League Cup, netting against Birmingham City and Manchester City in the quarters and semis before his side's equaliser in the 2-1 final decider victory over West Ham United.

While Jota has not been ruled out of the cup final, Lijnders has conceded that Roberto Firmino will miss out owing to his muscular problem.