in:draft Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI): Bollywood star couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan are expecting their first child this year end.

"My wife and I would like to announce that we are expecting our first child in December. We would like to thank our well wishers for their blessings and support and also the press for their discretion and patience," Saif, 45, said in a statement here.

Gossip mills were abuzz about the stork visiting the couple when Kareena, 35, and Saif recently went to London. Also some of her pictures were flashed across media apparently showing the baby bump.

However, on return from the trip when the media quizzed about the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" actress about it, she flatly denied it last month.

Saif was earlier married to actress Amrita Singh and has two children -- daughter Sara and son Ibrahim.

Saif, son of Tiger Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, tied the knot with Kareena in October 2012 after a five-year courtship.