Lukaku returns to Inter OVERWEIGHT after earlier being in best shape of his life

Romelu Lukaku left Italy last year in the best shape of his life, but he has returned to Inter Milan overweight following his difficult season at Chelsea.

The 29-year-old was put on a special diet during his first stint at the San Siro after he arrived out-of-shape following his time at Manchester United.

History has again repeated itself as Inter Milan have put the Belgian on a plan after putting on the pounds at Stamford Bridge.

Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, is being put through the hard yards in training sessions and is on a personalised diet so he can return to the physical levels he was at 12 months ago.

Before his £97.5million move to Stamford Bridge last summer, Lukaku had got himself down to a weight of 101kg (15st 9lbs) - something which the club are attempting to help him to get back to.

Inter's methods certainly worked with the player during his first stint at Inter Milan, scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances and firing them towards the Serie A title in 2021-22.

The secret to his success, Lukaku believed, was down to his Mediterranean diet and the foods selected for him by the medical staff at Inter Milan.

This allowed him to improve himself both physically and mentally, managing to achieve greater speed on the pitch as well as improved physical endurance.

While his last two stints in the Premier League have focused on him bulking up and becoming a powerful striker at Manchester United and Chelsea, at Inter it's preferred for him to be leaner and more explosive.

His diet in England was substantially different from the Mediterranean cuisine he has in Italy, and the striker needs many rules in the kitchen to avoid accumulating excess weight that can affect his performance.

Lukaku consumed a lot of carbohydrates after matches in Italy, with his favourite post-match meal being two packs of Italian gnocchi.

His diet also consists of food such as salad, fish, chicken and shirataki pasta.

Under Antonio Conte at Inter, the Italian manager's favourite food for his players also consisted of rice, salmon and above all else, Bresaola - air-dried salted beef which is low in fat.

As part of his diet, potatoes, fried food, mozzarella and alcohol are firmly off the menu - though Lukaku had no problem with the latter having always been teetotal.

His first stint at Inter also saw him abolish all sugared drinks and stick to water.

It was a regime that worked as Lukaku reportedly lose half a stone by sticking to the strict nutrition regime under now Tottenham boss Conte.

During his first stint at Inter Milan, he told Sky Sports Italia: 'Since I joined Inter I have changed my diet and I can say that I have never felt so strong.

'My diet consists of salads for lunch, a lot of chicken breast, Shirataki pasta.

'I don't change my way of eating much, for how we play we must have a very strong physique, we run a lot: since I have followed this lifestyle I feel better on the pitch, I feel more reactive and faster.'

'I've always been an explosive player with muscles but Italy took me to another level. I have never felt so strong. I have reached another level, physically and mentally.

'I consume a lot of carbohydrates after games. Most of the time I eat two packs of gnocchi, it depends on what the chef has prepared. They go into circulation quickly and they help me a lot.'

Lukaku's weight has fluctuated over recent seasons, but even when he was 16 at Anderlecht he already weighed 100kg and could lift the same amount in the gym.

His first stint at Chelsea he weighed 101kg, before he played at 99kg at Everton.

Conte is no longer at Inter, but the same commitment to his diet and training will be expected by current manager Simeone Inzaghi.

Lukaku again has been set the target of scoring 20 goals in the Serie A, repeating the feat he accomplished in his two previous seasons at the club.

There are some unknowns going into the season about his general physical condition following a number of injuries during the last campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku will have a 100% guaranteed place in the line-up though, and Inter will be hoping he can return to his dominant best as quickly as possible, to help them wrestle the league title back off rivals AC Milan.

The striker will have some way to go to winning Inter fans over following the nature of his departure last summer.

A letter from fans read: 'Curva Nord supports Inter and will not make any objection to the player (despite the behavior of last summer) everything that will eventually be done against him in the future will have to earn it on the pitch with humility and sweat.

'He was supported (and treated) like a King, now he is one like many others. Let it be clear to everyone that we will never cheer against Lukaku.'