Inter, Lukaku: more and more minutes to fill up against Napoli

Romelu Lukaku has not started an official match for 110 days. There will be 131 when January 4 arrives, with its corollary of anxiety and tension, when all of Italy will look to San Siro: against Napoli, Inter will play for the remaining chances of the Scudetto. There is only one possible result to try to believe again in the comeback, so Lukaku wants to get to the appointment with the championship resuming one hundred percent in condition. If it is then enough to guarantee a ninety-minute presence on the pitch, it will be understood along the way and perhaps it will also depend on how the match goes. But the primary objective now is to get there at the top, which is why Romelu and Simone Inzaghi – together with all the technical staff – have drawn up a roadmap to improve the condition week after week. Now the Belgian works fully with the group, then stays on the field for extra athletic work. The recovery proceeds quickly, but it is always better not to force the times.

On Saturday Inter will be back on the pitch in Seville to challenge Betis in a new international test. Romelu’s presence is still uncertain, and not due to physical problems or precautionary choices. The alternative idea is to leave him still in Appiano Gentile to work, put petrol in his legs, improve his aerobic fitness and speed resistance to avoid having other problems in the future. We will decide tomorrow, but if we opt to take him to Spain, Romelu will play for a maximum of one half. The situation, to be clear, is similar to that experienced at the end of October for the away match in Florence, when Lukaku was recovering from a flexor injury: at the time, Inzaghi opted to leave him in Milan for a double extra session of work, rather than having him available from the bench, with no more than 30′ in his legs to be able to help the team. Romelu is now much better than then and for this reason – perhaps – it seems more appropriate to continue with specific work and aim to find the field again in the next friendlies.

In fact, Inter have two more matches scheduled before the end of the year: next Thursday, in Reggio Calabria, the Inzaghi family derby will take place: Pippo will host Simone, a different way to wish each other a Merry Christmas. And the gift for the Nerazzurri coach will be to see his number 90 again to lead the attack of his Inter. If before Christmas Romelu manages to guarantee at least 45′ at high intensity, then on the 29th at Sassuolo we could try to increase the playing time: at least an hour, if not even 75 minutes. However, the starting point is already good and allows us to think about the future with optimism. True, Lukaku failed to leave his mark at the World Cup as he dreamed of, but his physical condition was what it was and Romelu still performed a half-miracle to be available for his national team. Despite his rough form, he was Belgium’s most dangerous player in the decisive match against Croatia. Where his mistakes weighed, but at least he got to the conclusion and one step away from goal.

Lukaku is a custom-built player to be handled with care, but he must always push to the max to guarantee top player performance. Basically, with the physique he has, Romelu would always need to play 90′ to constantly maintain optimal condition. He has a mad desire to play, to take back Inter and his role as leader. The team needs his goals and his physical strength to believe in a comeback and continue to cultivate the Scudetto ambitions. Romelu returned to Inter to win and still feel like king. Now he is ready to go again. And to show the way.