Why Roma's Romelu Lukaku struggled for fitness during forgettable second spell at Inter - explained

The Belgian striker was a fan favourite at the San Siro during his first stint with the Nerazzurri as he scored 64 goals in two seasons and led them to the Serie A title in 2020-21. He then made a move to Chelsea and flopped in the Premier League, prompting him to return to Inter on loan, however, this time around the 30-year-old failed to have any sort of impact on the side as they finished third in the league.

As per Bergomi, the former Manchester United striker had suffered a 'deep muscle tear' during his second stint and his physique did not allow him to undergo a proper recovery easily and he lost out on one of his biggest assets: his strength.

Speaking to Sky Italia recently, Bergomi said [via GFNI]: "From what they told me he had a very deep muscle tear at lnter. And given his physique it took him a long time to come back. Before he tore, he could recover easily. He has completely lost that strength. But I still think he can still determine our football, last year he helped a lot after his recovery."

The Antwerp-born player is now playing for Roma on loan from Chelsea after his move to Inter on a permanent basis hit a brick wall of controversy. He has scored 15 times in all competitions so far and will be in action next when Roma take on Feyenoord in the Europa League playoff round on Thursday, February 15.