Sporting Lisbon head coach Marco Silva has claimed that his side have every reason to be optimistic ahead of their Champions League match against Chelsea.

It will be Jose Mourinho's team who head into the Group B meeting in the Portuguese capital as firm favourites, but Silva is hopeful that his side can handle the threat posed by the Premier League leaders.

"They're a great challenge, but with the right attitude and the right commitment we'll be able to overcome the obstacles and maybe even gain some points," the Sporting boss told reporters.

"It's a great challenge for a trainer, but most importantly it's a great challenge for the team."

Sporting started their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Maribor earlier this month.