Romelu Lukaku Unlikely to Face Real Madrid as Inter Confirm Injury

Romelu Lukaku is unlikely to face Real Madrid in next week's Champions League clash, after the club confirmed the Belgian striker suffered an injury in Tuesday's draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Lukaku completed 90 minutes in Ukraine, but was feeling some discomfort in his thigh by full-time, and went for a scan. The club have put out a statement confirming the injury, and say the 27-year-old will be monitored closely in the weeks ahead.

"Romelu Lukaku underwent an MRI scan this morning at the Humanitas institute in Rozzano following a problem encountered in the UEFA Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk," the club statement reads.

"The investigations showed a muscle strain in the adductors of the left thigh. The condition of the Belgian striker will be evaluated day by day."

It is not expected to be a serious injury, but Lukaku will miss Saturday's clash with Parma, while he is also in serious risk of sitting out next week's Champions League trip to Madrid. Inter's only other fixture before the international break comes against Atalanta five days later, and they will be hoping to have their talisman fit and firing again for that one.

Lukaku has scored seven goals in seven appearances this season, and under Antonio Conte, he looks a different player to the one Manchester United let go last summer. The Italian manager has been at a loss to explain his improvement, saying earlier this week that he has improved every facet of his game since joining the Serie A side.

“Romelu is a different player to what he was a year ago. I always said in the past he was a rough diamond that I wanted to work with," Conte said, per Goal. "He is working and you can see just the way he receives the ball, the way he moves, everything has improved.”