Italian Media Argue Inter Milan Coach Simone Got It Right By Starting Romelu Lukaku In Coppa Italia Clash Vs Atalanta | OneFootball

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi’s decision to start striker Romelu Lukaku in yesterday evening’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal match against Atalanta was proved right.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, who note that the only way that the Belgian will start to find form is with playing time, and that the coach did well to recognize this.

Lukaku’s name was a bit of a surprise inclusion in the teamsheet for Inter’s starting eleven against Atalanta yesterday evening.

The 29-year-old continues to struggle with injury and fitness problems, which have meant that even when he has been fit enough to play, he has not looked at his best as he has struggled to reach the pace of matches.

Against Atalanta, Lukaku initially looked to be having trouble coming to grips with the match, but as the first half wore on he grew into it.

By the second half, the Belgian was really looking more like himself, as he appeared to have started to find the rhythm of the match.

For Tuttosport, this completely vindicated the decision of Inzaghi to start the Belgian, who had to find this playing time somewhere or another.

Now, Lukaku can head into the Milan derby as well as the first leg of the Nerazzurri’s Coppa Italia round of sixteen tie against Porto having gotten some all-important playing time in his legs, helping him transition back to his best.

If the Belgian arrives at those key matches looking like the player who was on show for much of the second half of yesterday evening’s match rather than the more tentative version of himself from the first, it will be down to Inzaghi’s decision to give him the opportunity to play himself back to fitness.