Lauri Markkanen will be back on the court Saturday.

The 21-year-old Bulls forward sprained his elbow in late September and has not appeared in a game this season. But, Markkanen is expected to play for the first time in 2018-19 when Chicago faces the Rockets in Houston on Saturday, according to a report from The Athletic.

Markkanen is officially listed as “probable” for the matchup.

Chicago's Lauri Markkanen is expected to make his season debut tonight in Houston. He is listed "probable" to return to the Bulls lineup against Rockets after suffering a sprained right elbow in training camp.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 1, 2018

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said earlier this week Markkanen’s return should help the team’s offense.

“The thing about Lauri is he’s obviously a very unselfish player,” Hoiberg said Thursday (via the Chicago Tribune). “But just what he can provide as far as spacing the floor and the attention he can draw, I think it’s going to help everybody.

“Having another skilled player who can score from all over the court is very important for what we’ll be trying to do.”

Markkanen shined as a rookie for Chicago last season, averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 68 games. He also knocked down 36.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

The Bulls will enter the matchup with the Rockets on a five-game losing streak. They hold a 5-18 record.