Lukaku backed to have 'amazing second half of season' for Chelsea after injury-hit start

Romelu Lukaku is recovering well from Covid-19 and determined to play a major part in Chelsea’s second half to the season and beyond, according to the player’s agent.

The Belgian striker, 28, has endured a stop-start second spell at Stamford Bridge having returned in the summer to the club he first joined in 2011.

Arriving in August from Inter Milan for a club-record £97.5 million ($129m), Lukaku began the season well, scoring four goals in his first four matches.

However, he then went six games without finding the net before picking up an ankle injury in mid-October during the Uefa Champions League clash against Malmo.

Lukaku, who spent three years at Chelsea initially, was back available late last month, although manager Thomas Tuchel named him on the substitute's bench for four consecutive matches.

The former Manchester United and Everton frontman returned to the starting line-up earlier this month in the Champions League tie against Zenit St Petersburg, scoring his side’s second in a 3-3 draw.

Lukaku was a late substitute in the recent Premier League win against Leeds United, but has missed two games this past week having contracted Covid-19. He was one of four Chelsea players to test positive before last Wednesday's match against Everton. In all, Lukaku has five goals in 16 appearances this campaign.

The forward’s agent, Federico Pastorello, told The National that Lukaku is well on the road to recovery, saying injury and illness have hampered significantly his impact since rejoining the club.

“He started very well, so he was very happy,” said Pastorello, founder and CEO of P&P Sport Management. “After there were some games where Chelsea struggled and he suffered a little bit from this problem.

“Then against Malmo he was playing brilliantly, but unfortunately got this injury, and it lasted almost two months. And now when he was ready to play again in the starting XI against Everton, unfortunately he got Covid. So it’s a very tough period for him, because he wants to play all the games.

“But one more week and then after he will be again available, and probably he will need a couple of training sessions more to recover his physical condition after 10 days at home because of Covid. But I think that the second part of the season will be really amazing for him.”

Reports emerged in England this week that Lukaku was already considering a move back to Italy. Having signed for Inter from Manchester United in 2019, the Belgium international scored 64 goals in 95 appearances across two campaigns, helping fire the San Siro club last season to a first Scudetto in 11 years.

Regarding the reports linking Lukaku to Serie A, Pastorello said: “No, rumours and journalists is normal; they do their job, but this was never a concern for us. When we decided to move to Chelsea it was a very hard choice. We did it because we were - and we are - sure it was the right thing to do in this period of his career.

“[Romelu] arrived with a lot of enthusiasm and in fact started very well, then these two things happen. But we signed a five-year contract, so it’s not just because of 3-4 months when things are not going as we wished, because unfortunately not because of him, but because of the injury and Covid. It is something that are not under your control.

"But he’s very calm, he just really wants to come back as soon as possible, so nothing more. He’s 100 per cent focused now... he was focused to recover from the injury, now again he had Covid, but soon will be fine. And I’m 100 per cent sure that he will really be a sure protagonist of the season for the second part."

Pastorello, who launched his agency in 1996, is nominated for best agent at next week’s Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, thanks in part to Lukaku's transfer to Chelsea. The move represents one of the most prominent this year in world football, with the Italian describing the emotions involved for the player in both leaving Inter and returning to Chelsea.

“This [deal] made me very proud,” Pastorello said. “To be able to make this kind of deal happen is important because you have to understand not only the difficulties linked to [the pandemic], but also the huge involvement of the feelings of this story.

“Because in the past two years, Romelu was really able to become a favourite of all the Inter supporters. He really appreciated so much [the club's owners]. So he was really happy to stay in Milan and in Italy. He loves the food, loves the behaviour of the people.

“And on the other side there was Chelsea that was always his dream club. He arrived there probably too early [aged 18] and unfortunately he was obliged to leave the club without a successful period. He was not able to impress, because probably he arrived too young. The time was not ready.

“So there were really two big things for him: there was Inter in Italy on one side; there was London, with his past and his future also. A player like Romelu was searching for a new challenge where he can win and also at that moment for sure Inter were really facing a very complicated period [financially].

“And, thanks to the money that they took for Romelu, they were able to prepare and face a new season. So, through the sale of [Achraf] Hakimi [to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported initial $68m] and the one of Romelu in particular, I think that Inter is having a very brilliant season this year.

“So, because of all these things, that was a very hard decision and it was a very hard negotiation, but at the end of the day everybody was successful. I think that now everybody is happy.”