On the eve of Inter’s match against Porto, Inter’s CEO, Giuseppe Marotta, said Lukaku often had to sit on the bench due to his condition not reaching 100%.

“Why is Lukaku on the bench in today’s match? He needs to be physically fit to carry a weight of 103 kg on his shoulder. Currently, Lukaku is not in the best shape. He is trying to find it again. form,” said Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta.

“We expect Lukaku to return to himself in the second half of the season,” added Marotta.

103 kg is the weight of Lukaku when he was still playing for Manchester United in the 2017/18 season. Oversized body makes “Big Rom” difficult to keep balance and control the ball. Gary Neville once criticized Lukaku for “unprofessionalism” when this player lost control of his weight.

After moving to Inter, the Belgian international started a diet. Starchy and fatty dishes have been removed from the menu of the striker born in 1993. In the 2020/21 season at the peak of his performance, Lukaku weighed 96 kg.

After Mr. Marotta’s speech, Lukaku replaced Edin Dzeko and shone with a goal to help Inter beat Porto 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 early this morning (February 23). The return of “Big Rom” is considered essential for the home team of Giuseppe Meazza when the season enters a pivotal period.

According to British media, Inter still seems to want to borrow Lukaku for another season. On the Chelsea side , coach Graham Potter also has no intention of using Lukaku in the 2023/24 season.