“He is very strong” – Manchester United star Victor Lindelof admits he must be ‘smart’ as he prepares to face ex-Red Devils teammate

Victor Lindelof has heaped praise on his former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku. The two go head-to-head on Friday (March 24) when Belgium host Sweden in a EURO 2024 qualifier.

Manchester United signed Lindelof and Lukaku in the 2017 summer window after fighting off some stiff competition. While Lukaku left for Inter Milan later and then moved to Chelsea, the defender has stayed at Old Trafford.

Speaking ahead of the clash on Friday, Lindelof said that Lukaku is a smart player and uses his body in the right way. He said:

"He is a very good player. First of all, it's a physical profile. He is very strong and good at using his body in the right way. He is also fast when he goes deep. It's important for us defenders to be smart, not to let him hold you down and twist and turn.

"You have to be smart and maybe let him take a first touch but then be there and not give him too much time. It's also important to keep him out of the box as much as possible because he's a very strong player."

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Former Manchester United star's future in the balance

Romelu Lukaku faces an uncertain future this summer as Inter Milan and Chelsea are yet to hold talks. Report suggest the Serie A side are not interested in keeping the forward, while the Blues are now also sold on retaining the striker next season.

However, Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta previously hinted that he was confident about the forward regaining his form:

"We know that Romelu loves Inter; he loves the club. We can feel that. He's motivated to do great things; he's working to be back in good form as soon as possible."

While Inter and Chelsea are not sure about Lukaku, Aldo Serena has backed the Belgian to be the perfect replacement for Victor Osimhen at Napoli. He tweeted:

"If I were Spalletti and I couldn't turn down a massive offer from an English club, I'd ask Spalletti if he'd be interested in replacing Osimhen with Lukaku. If Inter no longer wanted to keep him, I think it could be the perfect place for him to relaunch himself."

Osimhen has been linked with a move away with Manchester United and Chelsea showing interest in the striker.